Michigan’s tight ends finally showed up in a way that mattered, and the timing couldn’t have been better for freshman quarterback Tommy Carr.
In Carr’s first start last week, a unit that had been almost invisible in the passing game this season gave the Wolverines a real lift, even in an overtime loss to Indiana. Hogan Hansen and Jalen Hoffman looked like reliable answers for Carr, especially on third downs and in the red zone, and both turned in season highs in catches and yards with the freshman under center.
“The ball just started to find us a little more in that game,” Hoffman told the media. “We’ve been running similar routes and similar concepts in a couple of other games and the ball didn’t find us as much, but it started to on Saturday.”
Hansen was the bigger beneficiary, finishing with four catches for 34 yards, his best output of the season. He came into the game with just seven receptions on the year, so that performance was a clear step forward. Hoffman nearly doubled his own season production as well, going for two catches and 14 yards after entering with only three receptions.
Hansen also earned Carr’s trust in a key overtime moment, when the quarterback looked his way on a play that could have tied the game with a touchdown. It didn’t end the way Michigan wanted, but it was another sign that Carr is beginning to lean on his tight ends when the pressure rises.
For Hansen, the chance to flash his ability has been a long time coming. Injuries have kept him on the sideline for much of his career, but he’s healthy now and getting a real platform to show what he can do. At 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, he brings the kind of size and upside that can change an offense if it keeps showing up.
Through just four games, Hansen has 11 catches for 100 yards, both good for third on the team. Even more encouraging for Michigan, he’s put together three straight games with multiple catches, which points to a steady rise rather than a one-week blip.
The entire tight ends group has taken a noticeable step forward. After managing only two catches in the season’s first three games, Michigan’s tight ends have combined for 15 receptions and 122 yards over the last four contests.
“We’re getting better. At the start of the season, we weren’t up to our standard, but I think we’re coming along well,” Hoffman said. “We have to make sure that we’re doing the right things and being in the right places at the right time.”
That growth matters even more with a true freshman at quarterback. Carr is going to need targets he trusts, and Hansen and Hoffman just gave him a strong case to keep looking their way. One game doesn’t lock anything in, but it was enough to suggest Michigan may have found two dependable passing outlets right when it needed them.
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