Colston Loveland emphasizes strong team culture at Michigan

Mar 21, 2023 - 6:00 PM

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In his first appearance in front of the media since last fall, Michigan tight end Colston Loveland looked the part as the newly minted leader of the tight end room — seemingly composed and measured beyond his sophomore standing.

For Loveland, however, there hasn’t been some profound inner discovery, just a reliance on the system he’s now spent a year in.

“I guess I don’t ever really feel that way. It’s different here,” Loveland said. “We all just get together like — no matter a senior, a freshman, everyone’s just so, so tight, and we’ll help each other out. Everyone’s so willing to help each other that it really doesn’t seem like anyone’s too young or too old.”

Loveland is just the latest underclassmen to have flourished into a big role for the Michigan Wolverines. J.J McCarthy and Donovan Edwards, among others, took the reigns and excelled last season.

When asked what fuels that desire to support each other, Loveland said it all starts day one.

“When you’re younger and you come in here, you’ll know,” Loveland said. “Keep your head on straight, lock in, don’t act like you’re grown now, you know what I’m saying? They do a good job with that for us. It’s time to grow up, so it’s never like you feel like someone’s a little younger than they are or shouldn’t be here. Everyone’s always locked in and knows what they need to do.”

With the departures of Erick All via transfer and Luke Schoonmaker via the NFL Draft, Loveland is the near-presumptive No. 1 tight end headed into the fall. In his brief time last season at the head of the pack, he showed plenty of promise — being named offensive freshman of the week in six games, including against Ohio State.

With a substantial role in the offering for 2023, Loveland will undoubtedly rely more than ever on the guys around him to keep a level head, and he has as good a locker room as you can get for a situation like his.