Tight ends as integral as ever for Harbaugh, Michigan offense

Returning 84% of its offensive production — good for fourth best in the NCAA — the Michigan football team looks poised to run back the dynamic run-first offense that brought it to its second consecutive College Football Playoff. 

Yet, for all the hype surrounding the ground-and-pound style that propelled the Wolverines to new program heights, Jim Harbaugh still coaches Michigan.

And that means there’s ample room for tight ends to make their mark. 

“We know it’s going to be hard to replace some of the key weapons we had last year,” senior tight end Matthew Hibner said. “But, (with sophomore tight end) Colston (Loveland) coming back, and bringing in (senior tight end) AJ (Barner) and all of us just developing in the room. I think we’ve all just realized that in order to keep the level from where we were at last year, or better, we have to step up.”

On Saturday, during the Wolverines’ annual Spring Game, the tight end impact that has defined much of Harbaugh’s tenure as a coach was on full display.

Despite the loss of outgoing fifth-year senior Luke Schoonmaker, the tight end position saw ample action in the run and pass game. A program known for producing dual-threat blocking and receiving tight ends at the NFL level, even as Schoonmaker leaves a void for a young Michigan team, there were plenty of Wolverines ready to step up behind him.

While the most known quantity lining up for Michigan was Loveland — and he briefly flashed with one reception on one target for 14 yards — what resonated most from the Wolverines’ only stint in the Big House until September was the sheer number of opportunities afforded to the tight end position at every opportunity. 

Moreover, what became rapidly apparent was the fact that Schoonmaker’s void may have been filled faster than expected.

“I feel like all of us are just weapons in our own way,” Hibner said. “We’re not all the same people, but we all bring different things to the field and I think we’re going to show them this season.”

Hibner himself had a day. Catching two balls for 61 yards, with his second catch gaining 51 yards after the initial reception, he played an integral role in a scoring drive for Team Maize deep in the second half, bringing his offensive group inside the redzone. 

Meanwhile, when Team Blue’s offense took the field for Michigan, it wasn’t just Loveland who flashed his talent. Rather, it was the newcomer. Transfer AJ Barner performed as advertised, hauling in three receptions on five targets. In only a short time, Barner’s impact has already resonated throughout the program. 

“Definitely a great addition to the team,” senior defensive back Makari Paige said of Barner. “Everything that y’all read about him is true. He works hard to fit right into our team.”

A former captain at Indiana, Barner transfers into a tight end room that welcomes his presence. Amassing nearly 200 yards on 28 receptions and chipping in three touchdowns last season for the Hoosiers, Barner’s numbers may not jump off the page, but evidently, the blueprint was there.

The Wolverines will undoubtedly lean on their offensive strengths this upcoming season. A back-to-back Joe Moore trophy-winning offensive line, coupled with a dynamic running back duo and a budding star quarterback, there will be many mouths to feed. 

Nevertheless, with the addition of Barner and the growth of Loveland and Hibner, the rich get richer and a hungry tight end unit will certainly hope to feast on upcoming defenses.