Why TE Marlin Klein is viewed in 'starting role' on Michigan offense
The Michigan Wolverines are replacing plenty of faces on the offensive side of the ball this year, especially at tight end. Colston Loveland returns for a third season and could be the focal point of the passing game, but U-M needs a running mate for him.
The importance Michigan places on the position will continue from the last several years with the group having a prominent role. New position coach Steve Casula, who was in Ann Arbor as an analyst from 2019-21, plans on keeping that strong tradition going.
“I think even a year ago and in years past, the tight end position has always been extremely important and valuable here,” Casula said. “That’s a tradition that we don’t take lightly. You look at huge moments in the 2023 season, whether it would be a long touchdown run against Penn State, or a long touchdown run in overtime by Blake against Alabama. Somehow, some way there was always a tight end involved. Some of the big plays that Colston made in the pass game. That’s kind of become who we are, tight ends are counted on in big games.
“In addition to Colston, Max Bredeson is as important of a player that we have. He may not show up every week on the stat sheet but when you want to talk about someone who allows us to establish our identity in terms of running the football, Max is vital to that. In addition to him, a guy that’s made a big move this spring is Marlin Klein. Obviously, everyone has been aware of Mar for a long time but I think Mar will be a guy who gets a lot of great opportunities and he’s worked hard and he’s worked to earn and deserve that so we’re really excited about where he’s at, too.”
Klein has been working behind the scenes to round out his game, and now he has an opportunity to step into a bigger role not at all unlike Luke Schoonmaker or AJ Barner’s roles at Michigan over the last few years.
“I wasn’t here with Marlin in his first two years but there’s nothing on a football field that Marlin probably can’t do,” Casula said. “We feel comfortable — I said this the other day in a staff meeting, if Marlin Klein had to go play every play in the game, we’d be good with that. We view Marlin very much as [someone] in a starting role. Whether that means on the first play of our season he will be on the field, I don’t know that. Don’t know what the play will be. Marlin has had an outstanding, exceptional, spring. I’m really proud of him for just kind of hanging in there and stacking day, after day, after day, after day.
“Not that every day has been perfect but Marlin is incredibly gifted, he’s serious about football, he trains hard with Tress and Lock. He goes about his business the right way each and every day and so excited and fortunate to be his coach. Marlin Klein is really, really good and we’re really excited about him.”
But to get on the field at Michigan, you have to do your share of the work in the run game as a blocker. Klein and his peers in the tight end room will be held to that same standard moving forward.
“That’s kind of who we are,” Casula said. “I think you look at the big games here over the past handful of years, we gotta run the ball. You gotta run the ball in our conference, you’ve gotta run the ball down the stretch late in the season, you’ve gotta run the ball in the weather we’re in and that’s something that starts with our head football coach, Coach [Sherrone] Moore, first and is continuing with Coach [Kirk] Campbell and our offensive line coach Grant Newsome. Our players own and honor that every day.”
