Name: Max Bredeson
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 240 lbs.
High school: Hartland (WI) Arrowhead
Position: Tight end/Fullback
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #44
Last year: I ranked Bredeson #46 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He caught 2 passes for 19 yards.
TTB Rating: N/A
Bredeson was a backup fullback to converted lineman Joel Honigford in 2022, but he still managed to get 233 snaps that year. Last year he started three games but had 238 snaps in fifteen contests, which is a surprisingly small uptick in playing time considering Honigford was out of the picture in 2023. Bredeson ranked as the second-best run blocker on the team with a 78.0 grade, according to Pro Football Focus; the only person ahead of him was tight end A.J. Barner at 81.4. Bredeson's improvement from 2022 to 2023 is symbolized by going from a 63.4 as a run blocker (#17 on the team) to that 78.0 grade.
Bredeson might end up being Michigan's highest graded run blocker in 2024 now that Barner is gone, but I have a hard time ranking a fullback higher than #17. Even though Bredeson is now a captain, he's still not going to be on the field for a majority of snaps. Backup Jalen Hoffman is an unproven commodity, but Michigan can massage its personnel if Bredeson gets hurt to include other tight ends. In other words, the absence of a starting fullback shouldn't tank Michigan's offense altogether; they'll just need to make some adjustments. But when he's in there, Bredeson can be expected to destroy some defensive ends, linebackers, and an occasional safety, like he did to former Alabama (and current Ohio State) star Caleb Downs.
This is completely random, but here's Max Bredeson absolutely dominating Caleb Downs pic.twitter.com/gvdPEXnP69
— Blue By 90 (@bluebyninety) January 20, 2024
Prediction: Part-time starting fullback/tight end
Man, his first half against (ECU?) last year included some partial or fully missed blocks ... not promising. But the way he came on was just impressive, my second favorite FB after Hammering Panda
ReplyDeleteNow we just have to work on not tipping the Run every time he's out there
Bottom line: Bredeson is one of our 11 best offensive players. I expect to see him on the field more often than not and finish in the top 11 in snaps this season. He's a playmaker, as a blocker.
ReplyDeleteThere's no real backup either so you can make a case that he belongs higher up in the countdown but that's tough to do for a FB. There I agree with Thunder. But I think the Michigan coaches are going to design this offense very much with Max Bredeson in mind and on the field as a FB/H-back. If he goes out...the playcalling is going to change substantially, IMO.
That highlight against Downs is AWESOME!
P.S.
The Honigford comp is a head scratcher to me because I don't remember Honigford playing much FB at all. He was an in-line TE as far as I recall. That's the one thing Bredeson doesn't do. But maybe I'm forgetting... but I think most of Honigford's snaps got eaten up by Barner. The FB snaps didn't change all that much as far as I can tell so Bredeson's workload was fairly steady. H-back is his opportunity to get more work so if Loveland is sliding inside more to play In-Line then there's opportunity there. Or if the offense changes...