Michigan’s very deep at the tight end position this season. They have tight ends who can block, tight ends with speed, they have a unit that has various skill sets.
The group is undoubtedly top-heavy, with Erick All and Luke Schoonmaker among the most promising tight ends in college football. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and Grant Newsome both expect All and Schoonmaker to battle it out for who is the best tight end in the nation. Harbaugh has always found ways to use a tight end in his offense and this year will be no exception — the group will contribute aplenty as receivers, and with pass and run blocking.
Newsome recently indicated he’s confident in his tight ends when All and Schoonmaker are on the field and when other players are rotated in.
“It’s gonna depend game-to-game, on how the game’s flowing, who’s hot. But it’s a good problem to have. We feel like we’re not just only two deep but really deep at the tight end room. I feel like we have five or six guys right now that could go win us the game at the tight end position.”
By all accounts, no pun intended, All has been impressing his teammates and coaches all off-season long. He’s added lots of muscle weight and is up to 255 pounds and also has speed to his game.
All had 38 receptions for 437 yards and two touchdowns last season, including a memorable game-sealing score on the road versus Penn State. All is a leader on the team, one of the strongest players on the team, and could have a long and great NFL career. All could have a huge season.
“First off, he’s a truly dynamic athlete. You guys saw the Penn State game last year. To do that, catch that ball and outrun their secondary on a bum ankle,” Newsome said this spring. “He was two weeks off a high-ankle sprain when he was doing that. He’s a really, really special athlete dynamically.”
