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Junior tight end Jalen Hoffman could be ready to explode

Did the Wolverines find their next star tight end?

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3 weeks ago

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Junior tight end Jalen Hoffman (blue) runs away from senior defensive back Shomari Stone (maize) in the Michigan football spring game on April 19, 2025, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Michigan football held its annual spring game on Saturday, with Team ‘Maize’ and Team ‘Blue’ squaring off in a scrimmage. The latter came out on top 17-0 after an 88-yard flea-flicker from freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood to junior tight end Jalen Hoffman on the final play of the game.

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The trick play might get the headlines, but Hoffman showed potential throughout the scrimmage.

Will Jalen Hoffman be Bryce Underwood’s favorite target?

The Wolverines on defense gave Underwood a tough time, but he had no problem connecting with Hoffman early and often. Over half of Underwood’s completions went to Hoffman (7-of-12), and the tight end finished with 148 yards and the score.

After the game, head coach Sherrone Moore said Hoffman has come on strong in the spring. 

“Jalen has really picked up his game, and he’s really changed his body (and) done different things,” Moore said. “I think he’s about 245, 250 pounds. A super athletic kid with great ball-skills and hands, and a guy we definitely look forward to watching in the season.”

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A big target is a quarterback’s best friend, and Hoffman stands at 6-foot-3. If Underwood can build a connection with a receiver before the fall, it would go a long way towards him starting week one. Hoffman has appeared in 14 games in two seasons as a Wolverine, with most of his work coming on special teams, so it would help him get on the field as well.

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