Michigan football gets key projection for coveted 2026 tight end

Michigan foootball is trending as the favorite to land 2026 tight end Matt Ludwig out of Montana.
Jan 19, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA;  Michigan Wolverines head football coach Sherrone Moore fires up the crowd in overtime of the basketball game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Jan 19, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines head football coach Sherrone Moore fires up the crowd in overtime of the basketball game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Michigan football knows what it's doing in terms of developing tight ends, and another blue-chip prospect at the position is on the radar of the Wolverines.

Colston Loveland, a former Michigan football tight end, is expected to go in the first or second round of the 2025 NFL draft. He's from Idaho, and it's hard not to compare Matt Ludwig, a four-star tight end from Montana and a top target of the Wolverines, to Loveland.

Both players are from the same region of the country. They were ranked in a similar range and have similar body types. Ludwig is 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, and is a three-spot athlete. He's stellar on the basketball court and is a track athlete too.

Last season, he had one game with 195 receiving yards. The potential is just being tapped into. 247 Sports has Ludwig ranked 230th overall, according to the composite rankings for the 2026 class. He's also the 15th-ranked athlete.

Michigan football trending for coveted tight end

Ludwig has a crystal ball prediction for Nebraska. However, the Wolverines have been trending up. Steve Wiltfong made an expert projection a few months back for Michigan football to land Ludwig. After Sherrone Moore and other coaches visited him in Montana recently, Ludwig has scheduled a spring and summer (official) visit to Ann Arbor.

On the heels of that, EJ Holland of The Wolverine has made an expert projection in favor of Michigan football. Texas Tech, Georgia, and Tennessee are also in the mix after Ludwig cut his recruitment down to four teams in January.

Michigan football feels like the favorite, though. We'll see where things go, but Michigan could be on the verge of landing its next NFL tight end. The On3 prediction machine gives the Wolverines a 95 percent chance to win Ludwig's commitment.

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