During the 2023 season, Colston Loveland and AJ Barner were the top two tight ends on the Michigan Wolverines’ undefeated national championship team.

Could they potentially reunite in the Pacific Northwest?

Insider: Two draft prospects who fit Seattle Seahawks’ identity

Last year, the Seattle Seahawks selected Barner in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. He went on to have a productive rookie campaign, totaling 30 catches for 245 yards and four touchdowns while providing solid run blocking and establishing himself as Seattle’s No. 2 tight end behind Noah Fant.

Loveland, meanwhile, is a surefire first-round pick who could be a legitimate option for the Seahawks in this year’s draft. Some draft experts – including NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah – have projected Seattle to take the 6-foot-5, 248-pound Loveland at No. 18 overall. It would make sense, given how important tight ends are to new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s scheme.

On Tuesday, FOX college football analyst Brock Huard highlighted Loveland as part of his Seahawks draft profile series on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. Huard called Loveland a “unicorn” due to his lengthy frame, speed, fluid athleticism and potential to be a big-time receiving threat at the NFL level.

“He’s a unicorn,” Huard said. “He’s just different. And he was different from day one at the University of Michigan. He played as a true freshman there. … When you’re 6-6, 250, you run 4.7 (seconds in the 40-yard dash), you’ve got 33-inch arms and can jump out of the gym, you give yourself an opportunity, (even) at Michigan, to hit the field right away.”

As a freshman, Loveland had 16 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns on a Michigan team that reached the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Loveland then took over as the Wolverines’ No. 1 tight end in 2023, racking up 45 catches for 649 yards and four touchdowns during Michigan’s 15-0 national championship season – including a key 41-yard catch-and-run in the national title game against the UW Huskies. Barner was the Wolverines’ No. 2 tight end that year, totaling 22 catches for 249 yards and a TD.

This past fall, Loveland played through a shoulder injury that limited him to 10 games. But he still finished with a school-record 56 catches for a team-high 582 yards and five TDs – including seven catches for a season-high 112 yards against Oregon. He finished with more than double the receiving yards of any other player on Michigan’s team, which was hampered by subpar quarterback play following the departure of 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.

“He’s a 6-6, 250 guy that looks like a 6-foot, 200-pound receiver,” Huard said. “He is that big, but he moves that effortlessly with that much fluidity.”

Loveland underwent shoulder surgery on Jan. 29 to repair his AC joint, but is expected to be able to be fully cleared for training camp this summer.

“Frankly, (the shoulder) is a little bit of a concern for me,” Huard said. “I’d have to be very, very, very clear on my medicals.”

Loveland also isn’t regarded as a particularly strong run blocker. But with Barner and the recently signed Eric Saubert, the Seahawks already have two good blocking tight ends. Loveland’s elite field-stretching ability could pair with Fant to give Kubiak another big-time receiving weapon for his bevy of multi-tight-end formations.

Loveland’s immense potential is reflected by Jeremiah ranking him as the No. 7 overall prospect in this year’s draft class – one spot ahead of Miami quarterback Cam Ward, the projected No. 1 overall pick.

“That tells you some of the grade and the evaluation and the unique skill set,” Huard said.

Listen to the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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