Max Bredeson’s path to Michigan, outlook for 2024

Since taking over as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, Sherrone Moore has pushed the smash-mouth style of football he plans to play in Ann Arbor. If there’s one player on the Michigan roster that embodies that, it’s tight end/H-back Max Bredeson. The storied Michigan name has exceeded expectations for the maize and blue so far, and will play a major role in setting the tone for the Wolverines in 2024.

The story so far

Michigan did not have Bredeson on its roster for one year in 2020. In the previous four years, Ben Bredeson had been the starting guard under Jim Harbaugh, while Max Bredeson was the starting quarterback at Arrowhead High School in Wisconsin.

Although Bredeson was the Classic 8 Conference Offensive Player of the Year his senior year, he was undersized and had no Division I offers. Instead, he decided to walk on at Michigan and was told he would switch to tight end – a position he had never played.

Quietly, Bredeson began to make a name for himself as a freshman, rising to the ranks in a crowded tight end room despite redshirting. The next season, Bredeson appeared in all 14 games as a tight end and on special teams, catching five passes for 78 yards and getting multiple snaps in the H-back role late in the year.

By the time 2023 came around, Bredeson was a familiar name on every Michigan broadcast. He started three games and played in all 15 as an H-back, tight end or on special teams on Michigan’s path to the national championship. Bredeson was the team’s Swiss Army knife, playing virtually any role he was allowed to play to help the Wolverines win. That’s why he was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy, given to the most outstanding FBS college football player who began his career as a walk-on.

Outlook 2024

While Colston Loveland is the frontrunner at the tight end position, Max Bredeson is likely to have the second most playing time in that room. He will be used all over the field for Kirk Campbell’s offense: out wide in the slot, inline as a tight end, behind the line of scrimmage in various H-back roles, and maybe even in a traditional fullback role depending on the formation.

Additionally, Bredeson is one of the few players with a lot of experience on the offensive side of the ball in 2024. As the team’s identity shifts from the Harbaugh era to the new Moore regime, Bredeson will be looked to as a leader, not only on his side of the ball, but throughout the locker room. As Moore looks to enforce his cultural changes while maintaining what was built for a national championship, guys like Bredeson will need to be the ones to carry the championship mentality forward to keep the glory days alive in Ann Arbor.