Colston Loveland excited to keep growing at Michigan: 'I can compete with anyone'
Michigan football sophomore tight end Colston Loveland had a lot of hype thrown his way this offseason as he continues to find his footing with the program. Those that have seen him up close and personal believe that he has the ability to be one of the best to come through Ann Arbor.
The hype has meant a lot to Loveland, but he knows it means nothing if he does not put the work in.
“Every day I just try to come in here and try to be the most complete tight end I can be, and that’s all I can ask for,” Loveland said on Wednesday afternoon. “I don’t know where my ceiling is, I don’t know what my ceiling is, but I do know that I can compete with anyone and I’m going to work my butt off to become the most complete tight end as I can. Run game, pass game, whatever it is, pass pro, all that. But I do appreciate the coaches and everyone for showing love.”
Loveland is considered a starter at tight end, but what Michigan gets out of Indiana transfer AJ Barner could go a long way in determining whether it is a timeshare or not. Both are expected to play a ton and learn from each other.
“It’s a new offense for him, so I’ve kind of been helping him there,” Loveland said. “I think having an older guy like that who played a lot of games, he’s taught me a lot like, especially fade balls, stuff like that. He’s really good at that aspect. And in the run game, he also blocks really well. So we kind of just bounce ideas off each other back and forth and he’s been great addition to the room.”
Loveland had 16 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns last season with the scores coming against Ohio State and Purdue. Injuries forced him into a larger role than usual for a true freshman, but he also earned it and has positioned himself for the bulk of the snaps at tight end.
“It’s a blessing first off to be in this position,” he said. “I’m just gonna attack it each and every day and bring everyone with me. Just keep becoming a better leader. Learning how to lead by example and with my mouth. But bringing everyone along with me and being the best team we can be.”
Loveland’s strides have mostly come in finding a comfort level at Michigan. Things are slowing down, and now he can focus on the finer details instead of being thrown into the fire as a young player.
“I would say overall comfortability in the program,” Loveland said. “Like getting the trust of other guys. Strength, speed, size, and the playbook. Super locked in on the playbook. Now I can really fly around, move fast, work on little techniques, run game, pass game, whatever that is. I think overall, especially in the run game, I’ve developed this off-season quite a bit.
“Pass game being more comfortable finding zones, more man-on-man routes, press coverage, too. As a whole I’ve grown and I’m excited to just keep growing.”
