Class of 2021 Prospect Profiles: Louis Hansen

Louis Hansen

Position: TE

High School: St. Sebastian’s

Measurables: 6-foot-4.5, 232 pounds

Ranking: Four-star (.9054 composite), No. 273 overall, No. 11 TE

Other finalists: Boston College, Notre Dame, Duke

Accolades: 1st team All-State, 1st team All-League

Recruitment

Tight ends from the Northeast have become a bit of a trope since Jim Harbaugh was hired at Michigan. His love of tight ends and fullbacks was a meme from his Stanford days, and Don Brown’s stranglehold on recruiting New England has combined to produce three tight ends from either Massachusetts or Connecticut in the last six cycles.

The first two, Sean McKeon, who committed before Brown was hired, and Luke Schoonmaker, were both middling three-stars ranked around 800th in the country. Either the recruiting services have caught up the trend or Michigan is in for a big upgrade with Louis Hansen.

Hansen is a four-star within the top 300 overall and the No. 11 tight end. He first came onto Michigan’s radar after visiting for the BBQ at the Big House last summer, where he earned his offer. He became a priority target at the position, before eventually committing in April.

But the more interesting part of Hansen’s recruitment came after he committed. Several schools didn’t give up on Hansen and kept trying to pry him away from the Wolverines until he signed a couple of weeks ago. The most persistent was Boston College, whose head coach Jeff Hafley was desperate to keep what local top-tier talent he had closer to home.

Later on in the cycle, schools like Notre Dame and Duke — Hansen is clearly a smart kid — also tried to get Hansen to flip. It’s a positive sign that so many schools, especially a tight end factory like Notre Dame, were high enough on Hansen to keep going after him hard and matches the attitude of Michigan’s coaches — which is he is one of the biggest steals of the class.

Even with Don Brown being fired, the Hansen family has not wavered in their commitment to the University of Michigan. Throughout all of these distractions, Hansen has stayed steadfast in his decision and looks ready to give his all to the program.

Stats

Sophomore (9 games) : 21 receptions, 375 yards, 5 TDs

Junior (8 games): 39 receptions, 548 yards, 5 TDs, 8 sacks, 2 INTs

The receptions, yards, and sacks are from Hansen’s junior highlight reel. I counted the touchdowns and interceptions he had on the film.

Scouting

Maize n Brew scouting report

Pros:

• High points ball and makes catches away from body
• Great body control for making catches in traffic and winning contested balls
• Long, projectable frame than can carry 10-15 more pounds

Cons:

• Lacks explosiveness off of the line
• Route-running needs to be more polished
• Upper body strength has to be developed

Hansen has a great frame for a tight end that provides a wide catch radius for the quarterback with more room to add weight and strength. He has good pass-catching technique, catching the ball away from his body and high pointing the ball. His size and body control allow him to win routes by bullying defenders and winning jump balls and off-target throws.

Hansen reportedly has run a 4.7 40-yard dash for the Michigan coaches, which is good speed for his size. He doesn’t show great burst, however, and can be quicker off the line. This lack of explosion makes it hard for him to create separation.

He can also get more separation by improving his route-running technique. Hansen has to be more abrupt with his change of direction and improve his footwork.

As a blocker, Hansen has good hand placement and keeps his legs driving through contact. He stays too high and needs to build more strength to finish off blocks better.