The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 79 TIGHT ENDS FYI Erstwhile starter Jake Butt finished his Michigan career with 138 receptions, the most for any tight end in the history of the program. Only two other tight ends, Jim Mandich (119) and Jerame Tuman (98), wound up with more than 90 catches for the Wolverines. Butt also set the career receiving mark for all Wolverine tight ends with 1,644 yards. Four other U-M tight ends have accounted for more than 1,000 receiving yards in a career: Mandich (1,508), Tuman (1,279), Lowell Perry (1,261) and Dick Rifenberg (1,006). Butt fell four shy of the career touchdowns mark by a Michigan tight end, making 11 TD grabs com- pared to Tuman's 15. Redshirt sophomore Tyrone Wheatley Jr. is the son of former Michi- gan great and U-M's running backs coach last year, Tyrone Wheatley. The younger Wheatley goes by the nickname "T.J." Sophomore Sean McKeon, meanwhile, played in four games last fall. He's 6-5, 240, and made a pair of catches for 10 yards as a Michigan rookie. Frey made it clear he wasn't drawing any public distinctions among his players this spring. He also insisted he didn't spend much time scrutinizing what they did in 2016. He wanted to see them with his own eyes, in the offense Michigan is preparing for the 2017 campaign, and not be influenced by the past. "I don't know what they did, good or bad," Frey said. "I don't know how they were coached, although I know Jay Har- baugh did an outstanding job and he's a wonderful coach. But he's moved to running backs now, and it's time for him to put his stamp on the running backs, and mine to put my stamp on the tight ends and tackles." It's a stamp that will have some input from the past, though. Frey acknowledges being well aware of what Jim Harbaugh squads have done with tight ends previously. "In my past, I've always studied — at Stanford and with the San Francisco 49ers — how Coach Harbaugh used his tight ends," Frey said." It was always some- thing intriguing to me. "When I first got here, I sat down with [offensive coordinator] Tim Drevno, and I asked about the tight ends. We talked about it for a while." Frey played offensive line, has coached offensive line for many years and certainly appreciates the run game. He's not locked into a run-first mindset, though, like some who coach blockers for a living. He's wide open, and doesn't mind if the offense becomes that way as well. "As an offense coach, you want to score points and win games," he said. "Whatever gets us there, we're going to do. I love run- ning the ball, I love throwing the ball. In the past, as an O-line guy, I never minded throwing the ball 60 times a game. "As a tight ends coach, I certainly don't mind throwing the ball 60 times a game. The more catches we get, the more fun we have. Whatever puts points on the board and allows us to win, helps our defense, helps our special teams, we're all in for it." Frey insisted he's never been around an environment quite like the one Jim Harbaugh creates, citing Michigan's spring practice-culminating trip to Rome as a prime example. Frey loves to be in the con- stant mix of idea and challenges, whether they're coming from a visit by the Baltimore Ravens The 6-6, 276-pound Tyrone Wheatley Jr. a redshirt sophomore, made three catches for 35 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown grab against Illinois, last fall. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL