Everything new Michigan TE coach Steve Casula said on In the Trenches
On being back in Ann Arbor
Man, it seems like every day gets better than the one before it. So thankful and appreciative to Coach Moore and the University of Michigan. The staff, the players to welcome me back with such open arms. This is a state I've lived for a big portion of my adult life, same thing for my wife. It's a place my children call home, two of my three kids were born here. We couldn't be any more pumped to return to the state of Michigan. More importantly, the University of Michigan.
On what he learned calling plays at UMass
It was the third time I had the opportunity to call plays. I think one of the biggest reminders that I was always given was success maybe isn't always right there when you want it but it's on time. Realizing, starting over again, the work from the ground level to see improvement and stuff like that. At the end of the day, I still think it's about relationships with people, getting guys to play really hard with good fundamentals, understanding what you're doing. It was certainly an enriching experience. At times, a humbling one, but I know one that made me a better coach, a better dad, a better husband, a better person for the long haul for sure.
On Don Brown
He's great. Coach Brown is as loyal and supportive of a coach I've been around. He is a great, great man that I could talk about — Coach Brown or Uncle Donnie as I call him, for hours. He's a guy that really loves his coaches, really loves his players and loves football. He's going to coach football for a long, long time. He loves it. He's salt of the earth, a really good person that did so much for me and my family not just while I was at Michigan but obviously at UMass as well. I love Coach Brown.
On the tight end room at Michigan
The greatest compliment I could pay that room and pay Coach Newsome and Coach Moore is how hard they play. You can feel them on tape, you can almost hear them playing when you're watching them on video. Play with outstanding effort, outstanding technique. They're really about team success first which I think is something is a trend across our football program. So impressed with how hard they play, you look at some of the biggest moments of the '23 season, somewhere, somehow, one of the guys that plays in the tight end room was involved in a lot of ways. Whether it's Blake's touchdown in overtime against Alabama, Breddy was involved in that, so was Colston, so was AJ Barner. Some of the big moments in the pass game, where Colston made some monumental plays. Some momentum and game-changing plays. They just kind of seemed to always find a way to affect and contribute to the game. To speak specifically about Colston, I agree with you, I think he's one of the finest football players in the country. I remember him when he was on his official visit here with his mom and his younger brother. I was actually fortunate to get to spend quite a bit of time with them. I told them this the first time we talked, I just remember how nice he was to his little brother. What a good dude he is. Really just has this warm, welcoming way about him. When you flip the tape on, he can really go. So impressed by him.
On what sets Colston Loveland apart from other tight ends
We had a great tight end room when I was here the last time. The biggest thing that is unique about Colston is his contact balance as a route runner. His ability to get open in a million different ways, his ability to get collision or to collision someone else as he's running a route but keep his balance and maintain his speed is elite. It's elite. He's so hard to cover because he's loose, he can run, he's physical and he's got great ball skills and an exceptional catch radius. The thing that makes the most difference is when he's being played in man and zone coverage and a guy doesn't want to move, college football they're allowed to hit you, now, they're allowed to re-route you, they're allowed to grab you. He brings the fight to the pass defender and then still wins route, it's really exceptional.
On what Loveland is like at the line of scrimmage
Certainly willing. A guy who plays with good pad level and can contribute to the run game in a bunch of different ways. He was at the backside point of attack in some big moments in the Penn State game where he cut off the C-gap. He certainly can do all the different things in the run game that we ask a tight end to do, for sure.
On Max Bredeson
I was fortunate to deal with Max when he was in high school. We were recruiting him. I got to know him quite a bit. I was here with him his first fall, the fall of '21. Max is someone that — we always talked about Max, yeah, he's going to play here. He's going to be in that role and play on special teams. Early on, you could tell he had that skillset. He has taken on the weight room and the growth and development portion of our program like no other. He was 217 pounds, I think, when he got here. Played in the 220s in 2022, he's a guy that's obsessed with Michigan football, that has great physical talent, great physical ability and he relishes and loves physical contact. He's the definition of what we'd say, and I know you could appreciate this term, Go Blue guy. He is about everything that is right about college football and Michigan football is Max Bredeson. The best athlete at his high school, he was a high school quarterback. They would snap the ball to him and he'd run for 250 yards. Breddy is awesome, man. Awesome. So smart. So intentional about the football work he does each day and how he trains. At the same time, great guy to be around, great personality, great aura around him. Can't say enough good things about him.
On the challenge with Loveland and Bredeson being different styles of player
I think it's an exciting one. You get your fill every day as a coach and you've gotta be mindful and intentional about individual work. About meetings, about extra meeting time to kind of curtail what you're talking to. You're right, it is different positions. Max Bredeson is gonna have to practice, and does practice and will continue to practice J-blocking as a kickout player on the frontside of power where Colston Loveland is going to have to train and practice maybe press release moves. Being thoughtful about how you kind of divide your own time so it doesn't — you can't try and become, across the whole room from top to bottom, a Jack of all trades a master of none. The fortunate thing is, they both have played so much that they both have such a body of work that I think makes it easier in some ways. Certainly, they are unique enough and have played enough where you've got to be really thoughtful about that.
On steps he's looking for Marlin Klein to take this season
Big ones. I've had this conversation with Marlin, I think so often guys just — when you play at a place like this, you haven't played right away, people are almost waiting for you to play, Marlin Klein is coming. He's coming. I compare him a ton to where Luke Schoonmaker was at, at this point in his career. Schoonie had some moments as a redshirt freshman in 2019 whether it be against Illinois, had a big touchdown against Illinois down at their place in '19. Against Rutgers late, made a big play, made a big, long run. Schoonie, there were some other older players that played a bit. Schoonie waited his turn a little bit in some regards. I think Marlin is kind of in that similar position. Marlin is really, really talented and really, really good. If you've spent any time with him, is such a great guy. Is into football and has so many different skills that I couldn't be any more excited to coach him. Really excited about the progress he's made since he's been here and will continue to make. I think he's going to have a helluva spring, man.
On the rest of the tight end room minus the early enrollees
We've had Josh Beetham that's played some real series, competitive snaps for us. He's really contributed in the run game when we've needed him to. Excited about Josh and the season he had a year ago and the spring we're kind of counting on and hoping for him. Deakon Tonielle and Zack Marshall, two other guys that redshirted a year ago. I was fortunate because Grant Newsome and I are such good friends that we would always talk, I remember him talking to me about both Deakon and Zack when he was recruiting them. Following their track as they were coming to Michigan just through Grant, you go through and watch stuff they did in practice a year ago, maybe some moments in games, they both belong. Really excited to get a chance to coach both of those guys. It's a really good group that you're really excited about and feel good about.
On how he grows a player in the tight end position
I think it's starting with baseline fundamentals. Starting with the various styles of blocks we're going to ask them to execute. There is that baseline of what you gotta be able to do to be here. Whether that's cutting off the C-gap in an inside zone play, kicking out the C-gap in an inside zone play, being part of a frontside double-team in a gap scheme play, you gotta know how to do those things. It doesn't matter how unique your track record or how unique your position may be, you have to be able to contribute in the run game here. You look at every great season we've ever had, we ran the ball. That dates back a long, long time, prior to you or I. I think it starts there. Capacity to contribute in the run game and then want to and willingness really matters. From just a base fundamental teaching about releasing routes, top-of-the-troute detail and footwork, training ball skills and all those things. Regardless of what version of one of our guys that you are, those things all apply. I think it's about developing those talent skills, techniques and then it's up to us as coaches and it starts with Coach Moore and Coach Campbell, obviously. Then, it's about deploying them and being mindful of, alright, this guy isn't quite the body type we would ask to play in the backfield as a fullback. In the same breath, this guy isn't the same guy that we're going to ask to play with his hand in the dirt on the line of scrimmage. There are still base fundamentals that you can gain and teach and gain real development with.
On Hogan Hansen and Brady Prieskorn
Kind of taking it in some ways one day at a time. This was something Coach Harbaugh used to talk about, one foot in front of the other, don't spend a ton of time thinking about what's next. My advice to them has been to soak up everything that they're able to in the weight room and the training facility and be in the best shape of your life. Each and every day, when we get ready to go to that first meeting, before the first spring practice, have the best meeting of your life and then have the best practice of your life and then do it all over again. I think instead of thinking about, well, where am I gonna be come spring game? Where am I gonna be in the middle of July, what's the fall gonna look like? Forget about that. That doesn't matter yet. Being thoughtful about finding a way to make gains each and every day, whatever segment we're in. Right now, we're in the offseason training segment, that's all that matters. That's it. Don't worry about spring ball yet. Let Tress and Lock get you ready for spring ball, that's what they do. You'll be ready to roll. When we get into spring ball, boom. Best meeting you've ever had. Best notes you've ever taken, the best you've ever learned and then, boom, when we go to indi, the best individual of your life. Just keep trying to stack one day at a time and then, I think, you'll look up and be amazed at how much better you got at football because that's what that first spring is about for them. You have to get better at football and you've gotta adjust to the speed and the strength and the power that exists on each and every snap. Really excited about having those guys here. I haven't gotten to do anything with them yet but all early reports are super impressive as high school players. There's something there to be excited about for both, for sure.
On the goals he has for himself
Basically, you're right, I know the bones of the offense. I was here, obviously, when it was originally installed in 2019 when Josh Gattis got here, I was fortunate to come here with him. Basically, taking nothing for granted and starting from scratch. When I first got here, I basically made the decision that I was going to begin and start like I knew nothing and start from literally the 100-level from the first page of the playbook or the first snap of the season and start like I didn't know it. Take nothing for granted and assume — I can't walk in here and assume that nothing has changed. Oh, yeah, this place still called that, I'm good. I've really been thoughtful about that, that's very important to me that, you're right, the 2021 version of the offense, hey, I can snap my fingers, we're good. There's been evolution and change, new players and all that. Number one, for me personally, I gotta make sure I'm on top of what I'm responsible for and I think what I am most responsible for is, number one, I gotta make sure my position is prepared to practice and play every day. That's number one goal. Number two, in terms of production or product that gets put on the field, there's a high standard that has been set here with style of play and how hard these guys play, we have to take it to another notch. There can't be a step back, we have to continue to play with outstanding effort, detail and technique. Then, on an individual level, with each player, I gotta find a way to make each guy better, to find their game, to improve their game. Certainly don't want to lose sight of what guys are already really good at but find areas that they can grow fundamentally, from a technique perspective. It's a tall task, man. The position is played so gosh darn good over the last two years and it played darn good when I was here, too. Our head coach cut his teeth here as the tight end coach and our offensive line coach coached the tight ends. I know, certainly, the microscope is on and there's a longstanding tradition of really good tight end play here. Not just over the last five years or whatever it is but forever. It's something I'm mindful of each and every day and I'm really excited about the challenge.
---
Discuss this article with our community on our premium message boards
Not a subscriber to Maize & Blue Review? Sign up today to gain access to all the latest Michigan intel M&BR has to offer
Follow our staff on Twitter: @JoshHenschke, @Berry_Seth14, @TrevorMcCue, @DennisFithian, @BrockHeilig, @JimScarcelli, @lucasreimink
Subscribe to our podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify
Check out Maize & Blue Review's video content on YouTube
Follow Maize & Blue Review on social media: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram