Michigan TE places second behind Brock Bowers in this PFF category

The hype train won’t stop for Michigan’s star tight end.

With nearly all of Michigan’s 2023 offensive playmakers headed to the NFL Draft, one returning pass catcher has received a lot of attention this offseason. This trend continued on Monday, when Max Chadwick of PFF published a list of the ‘Top 10 tight end prospects if everyone in college football was eligible’.

1. Brock Bowers, Georgia
10. Theo Johnson, Penn State

Top 10 Tight End Prospects if EVERY Player was Eligible⬇️https://t.co/TVTZ9KRHM6

— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 1, 2024

Yep.

That would be none other than Michigan’s Colston Loveland.

Last season, Loveland terrorized opposing defenses. The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder was named first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and second-team by the media. The Idaho native finished second on the team with 649 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 45 receptions. The 649 receiving yards are the highest by a Michigan tight end in a season since two-time All-American Jake Butt had 654 in 2015.

“Loveland went from a promising freshman to one of the nation’s best tight ends as a sophomore,” writes Max Chadwick of PFF. “He was the fourth-most valuable FBS tight end this past season, according to PFF’s wins above average measure, and was fifth in receiving yards (649).

“Loveland’s extraordinary athleticism at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds makes him nearly impossible to guard. His 88.7 percent open-target rate in 2023 ranked him in the 97th percentile among all tight ends in the country.

The buzz surrounding Loveland is nothing new for Michigan fans. During Big Ten Media Days last summer, former head coach Jim Harbaugh famously referred to the Michigan tight end as a “once-in-a-generation” player at the position.

“I believe the secret is out. “He is really, really good,” Harbaugh said about Loveland.

Loveland split time with transfer AJ Barner last season, but he improved significantly in his sophomore year. The Gooding native finished tenth among 53 tight ends with at least 40 targets, with a PFF receiving grade of 80.5. According to Pro Football Focus, Loveland had an 88.7 percent open-target percentage in 2023, ranking him in the 97th percentile among all tight ends in the nation.

Loveland, one of J.J. McCarthy’s most reliable targets over the last two seasons, is projected to be the focal point of Michigan’s passing game next season, with the Wolverines losing their top two wideouts in Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson. He’ll be regarded as one of the best tight end prospects in next year’s draft.

Former Georgia tight end Brock Bowers has long been regarded as college football’s top tight end, yet he is still eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft. With Bowers, Texas’ Ja’Tavion Sanders, and others out of college, Loveland will have an opportunity to take over as one of the country’s premier pass catchers.