Behind the Uniform with Colston Loveland: “The man who put Idaho on the recruiting map”

Episode 14 in the series features my recent sit-down with Michigan tight end Colston Loveland reflecting upon his journey to Michigan and his breakout freshman campaign. Loveland reflected upon his rise from recruiting obscurity in Idaho to one of the most coveted tight end prospects in the country. He explained why he chose Michigan despite strong overtures from Alabama and a late push from Auburn (who’d hired Boise State headman Bryan Harsin). He then shed light on his tough transition from Idaho to Michigan as an early enrollee. The conversation then turns to freshman year and his rise up the depth chart. Loveland then highlights his standout performances versus Ohio State and in the Big 10 Championship game. The focus then shifts to offseason preparation, his expectations for next year’s offense, and predictions on breakout players. The episode closes with his advice to current standout football recruits from Idaho like Gatlin Bair and his participation in “Wolverine Weekend” at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa in Traverse City Michigan.

-----------------------------------Contents of the video-----------------------------------

00:00 - Introduction
03:14 – On putting Idaho on the football recruiting map
04:26 – On catching the attention of U-M and Bama
07:28 – On what set Michigan apart
08:21 – Auburn’s last-ditch effort to flip him
09:32 – his relationship with Jay Harbaugh
10:22 – On his relationship with Grant Newsome
13:53 – His challenging adjustment as an early enrollee
15:50 – His NIL experience thus far
19:09 – Looking back at his first fall in Ann Arbor
20:23 – His most memorable freshman year mistake
22:04 – First impressions of the rivalry with Michigan State
22:57 – Comparing Michigan State and Ohio State
24:58 – Reflecting upon his memorable performance vs OSU
28:10 – On his Moss-like TD in the B1G title game
29:33 – On his (and U-M’s) sharpened focus heading into the season
32:26 – On his connection with JJ McCarthy
33:12 – On this year’s tight end room
35:00 – Predicting 2023’s breakout Wolverines
36:41 – On taking the offense to the next level
38:41 – His advice to current standout recruits from Idaho
40:55 – Wolverine Weekend