Michigan tight end Hogan Hansen’s season has finally started to look like the one many expected a year ago.
After injuries slowed him in 2025 and again early in 2026, Hansen has settled in as a real part of Michigan’s offense. He’s played in six of the Wolverines’ eight games this season and already has a career-high 13 catches for 128 yards. His best outing came against Indiana, when he finished with four receptions for 34 yards.
For Hansen, the turnaround has been about health and repetition.
"I think it just happened naturally," Hansen said on Tuesday. "Just like finally putting together a full, complete season, being healthy, stacking weeks on weeks, and just the way our offense has naturally developed over the year."
That steady run of games has mattered. Hansen said the biggest difference is simply getting on the field week after week and building comfort through live reps.
"I wouldn’t say it’s too difficult in terms of like playing football," Hansen said. "I just think it’s just a benefit to be able to stack weeks and not have to wait or be able to take a coaching point and apply it right away the next week and continuously get better that way."
The numbers back up the recent surge. Michigan’s tight ends have become more involved in the passing game over the last few weeks after a slower start that left plenty of Wolverines fans wanting more. Hansen has seven catches over the past two games, Jalen Hoffman has four of his seven catches in that same stretch, and Mason Bonner picked up his first career reception last week, a 27-yard gain.
Hansen said that uptick isn’t just about the offense leaning more on the position. In his view, the tight ends themselves are also playing better.
"I just think it’s just kind of happened naturally over the season, and I think, if I’m not mistaken, we even said like, I don’t think anyone in the tight end (room) would believe we’re playing up to our standard at the start of the year," Hansen said. "And I think we’ve really developed and gotten better week by week. So it’s been good to see how we come through on Saturdays."
Michigan gets another shot to keep that momentum going Saturday night against Michigan State at The Big House. Kickoff is set for 7:40 p.m. EST, with the game airing on Peacock.
In Other News...
Former Wolverine Suddenly Faces A Brutal Lions Setback
Dan Campbells postgame injury update brought a little clarity, but not much comfort, for a Lions team already juggling a growing list of concerns. The head coach said linebacker Jack Campbell is recovering in the hospital and offered a positive update without getting into specifics, while also noting he and general manager Brad Holmes are still sorting through the possibility of roster moves as the team evaluates its health situation.
For former Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder, the news was far more severe. He will miss the rest of the season after suffering a significant injury that will require surgery, a brutal setback for a player trying to carve out his place in the league. For Wolverines fans, it is another reminder of how quickly a promising season can turn when injuries start to stack up, and the recovery timeline now becomes the next thing to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Suddenly Risks Losing A Prized Legacy Recruit To Notre Dame
Michigan has done a solid job keeping its legacy pipeline flowing, landing commitments from Tommy Carr and Tommy Fraumann in the 2026 class and Charles Woodson Jr. in 2027. That made Asa Burch an especially important name to watch in the 2028 group, with the four-star edge rusher from Warren Harding High School long viewed as a natural fit to continue the family connection in Ann Arbor.
Now the picture has shifted. Recent predictions from Rivals and 247Sports point to Notre Dame as the team to beat for Burch, and the timing only adds to the intrigue with a decision expected soon. He is also set to visit Notre Dame for a game, giving the Irish a chance to make a late push in a recruitment Michigan once appeared to control. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Michigan Broadcast Choice Says A Lot About Where Both Teams Stand
Michigans next two weekends say plenty about where the season has gone. First comes a night game against Michigan State that will live only on Peacock, then a Week 11 matchup with Oregon that is set for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on FS1. For a team still chasing bowl eligibility, the spotlight is not exactly where the Wolverines hoped it would be at this point in the year.
Oregon arrives with the same 5-3 record, which makes the broadcast assignment feel like a fitting snapshot of both programs right now. Neither side is in the national-title conversation, but there is still enough name value and enough at stake to make the meeting matter, especially for Michigan as it tries to steady a difficult season and keep its postseason path alive. [Read more 🡒]