Big Ten coordinator takes shot at Michigan QBs in defense of Colston Loveland: 'He didn't have anybody to throw him the ball'

Many NFL insiders were surprised when Michigan tight end Colston Loveland was drafted earlier than Penn State TE Tyler Warren. After all, Warren recorded over twice as many receiving yards as Loveland in the 2024 campaign.

However, some coaches believe that wasn’t Loveland’s fault. In a story by ESPN, two anonymous Big Ten coordinators weighed in on the comparisons between Loveland and Warren.

“The quarterback play [in 2024] kind of killed [Loveland], he didn’t have anybody to throw him the ball,” a Big Ten defensive coordinator said. “But I think he’s pretty special. He’s more of a receiving tight end, where Tyler can kind of do it all. Two good ones, though. No doubt about it.”

It’s no secret that Michigan’s quarterback play left much to be desired last season. The Wolverines recorded just 129.1 passing yards per game, the fourth-least in the country.

In comparison, Penn State averaged 227.9 passing yards per outing. Michigan’s issues behind center largely stemmed from its lack of consistency at the position.

Davis Warren kicked off the season as Michigan’s QB1. Alas, after three games, the Wolverines benched Warren and started Alex Orji instead. Orji started for two weeks before being replaced by Jack Tuttle.

Tuttle also only held the coveted starting spot for two weeks before Warren reclaimed it and started the final six games of the season. Scouts could gain a more accurate picture of Loveland’s potential by looking at his 2023 season when JJ McCarthy started at QB for Michigan.

In the 2023 campaign, Loveland caught 45 passes for 649 total yards and four touchdowns. While the previously mentioned coordinator seemingly believed Loveland was just as talented as Tyler Warren, an anonymous coordinator told ESPN that Warren is the better player.

“Warren’s more of hard-nosed, tough, physical, along with being a good receiving threat,” the coach said. “Loveland’s a little bit more of a better receiver, a little less blocking. I don’t know if it was the injury or what this year, but they didn’t really use him a ton to block. So is it he can’t do it, or he was banged up? Penn State’s guy is a little bit more of a complete player.”

Evidently, the Chicago Bears disagreed. The organization took Loveland with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. With Caleb Williams expected to deliver darts next season, Colston Loveland should have plenty of opportunities to prove his critics wrong.