Way-too-early breakout candidates for Michigan Football in 2023

Michigan football is one of the few programs that has started spring practices and with that in mind, here are three way-too-early breakout candidates. 

Over the past two seasons, Michigan football has had its share of breakout players. J.J. McCarthy is a prime example in the 2022 season.

The sophomore took the starting job away from Cade McNamara, who led Michigan football to the Big Ten title the year before and posted the first 13-0 record in U-M history.

McCarthy wasn’t the only breakout candidate for the Wolverines and after a really solid 2022 recruiting class, there are plenty of young players with high hopes to emerge.

Of course, breakout candidates tend to be younger players on the roster and that’s certainly true as the Wolverines have a bunch of players that will be sophomores, primed for huge seasons, and here are three Michigan football players poised for breakout seasons.

Colston Loveland

Loveland sort of burst onto the scene at the end of last season. He caught a 45-yard touchdown pass against Ohio State and also caught a touchdown in the Big Ten title game.

However, the freshman (in 2022) from Gooding, Idaho finished the Michigan football season with 16 receptions for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

And with Luke Schoonmaker preparing for the NFL draft and Erick All now at Iowa after leaving in the transfer portal, Loveland is the No. 1 option at tight end. It appears he and McCarthy already had a rapport at the end of last season and that should only grow.

Loveland is a future NFL player and my expectation is that he gets around 500-600 yards receiving this season as well as eight to 10 touchdowns. His blocking is really good too and he’s a mismatch against most defenders.