Colston Loveland was born and raised on a farm in the small town of Bliss, Idaho, a mere truck stop of a town off I-84 in southern Idaho. He grew up wrangling horses and raising sheep but also loved basketball and football. It was his big brother who forced him to play, including flag football when he was in first grade and tackle football by fourth grade.

Translation: заставил его играть, включая флаг-футбол в первом классе и тактический футбол в четвертом классе.

Once Loveland hit middle school, it was clear that everyone wanted to play with the big, strong kid with good hands. Fast-tracked to varsity football as a freshman, Loveland played wide receiver alongside his brother. Once Colston was the lone Loveland, he grew five inches and gained about 40 pounds, paving the way for him to move to tight end. He dominated for the Senators, smashed big bro’s records, and truly began garnering attention as one of the nation’s top young tight ends.

He finished his high school career with 235 catches for 3,139 yards and 35 receiving touchdowns, adding four touchdowns as a senior as a rusher and 18 tackles for loss as a senior defensive end.

Loveland was noticed locally in his freshman year, but his sophomore breakout and a successful 7-on-7 camp showing in Seattle really started to get offers rolling in. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Michigan assistant Jay Harbaugh noticed film of Loveland and began his pursuit for him to join the Wolverines. Loveland credits the Michigan culture and facilities for his choice to play there over places like Alabama, LSU, UCLA, and Colorado.

And now he leaves Michigan as their all-time single-season leader at tight end in receptions.

Colston Loveland NFL Draft Profile

• Age as of Week 1: 21 years old
• Height: 6-foot-6
• Weight: 248 pounds
• Hand size: 10 inches
• Comparable body-type to: Coby Fleener

CBS Prospect Ranking

• Position: No. 1 TE | Overall: No. 11

Consensus Big Board Ranking

• Overall: No. 19 (No. 2 TE)

Loveland might prove to be a good blocker, but it’s his receiving skills that will get him drafted early. He is very reminiscent of Darren Waller, who took a while to grow into his role. Loveland should be a quicker study than Waller but both are former receivers who can exploit mismatches all over the field.

Scouting Report Highlights

• Tall with a bulky upper body to help shield the ball away from defenders on catch opportunities.
• Very good agility and loose hips for a 6-foot-6 tight end.
• Acceleration and speed against linebackers and some safeties.

Lastly, Loveland suffered an AC joint injury requiring reconstructive surgery in January, but he is expected to be ready for training camp. An NFL team looking for a mismatch tight end will target Loveland with his promising combination of height and speed.