One Michigan football standout stands atop PFF best-of list

Photo: Isaiah Hole

Michigan football may be losing a lot on the offensive side of the ball heading into 2024, but that doesn’t mean its bereft of weapons.

Though quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum, wide receivers Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson, and the entire starting offensive line are moving on, the Wolverines return some key playmakers — including running back Donovan Edwards and tight end Colston Loveland. The latter is so good, in fact, that he’s getting some recognition by PFF from a national perspective.

In a list created by PFF’s Max Chadwick, the top returning tight end in the country is none other than Loveland.

Top 10 Returning Tight Ends for the 2024 Season🔥

(Via: @MaxChadwickCFB) pic.twitter.com/GQnFCqu6i6

— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 21, 2024

From Chadwick:

Loveland went from a promising freshman to one of the nation’s best tight ends as a sophomore. He finished as the fourth-most valuable FBS tight end this past season according to PFF’s wins above average metric and was fifth among them in receiving yards (649).

Loveland’s elite athleticism at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds makes him nearly unguardable. His 88.7% open-target rate in 2023 placed him in the 97th percentile for all tight ends in the country.

Last season, Loveland was the second-leading receiver on the team with 649 yards and four touchdowns. He split time with transfer AJ Barner, but really made big leaps and bounds entering his sophomore season. Though he received a lot of accolades regionally, Loveland was overshadowed nationally by Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. But with Bowers moving on, there’s a big opportunity for the junior Wolverines tight end from Idaho to make a stamp on the game.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: One Michigan football standout stands atop PFF best-of list