On Friday morning, it was announced that senior tight end Marlin Klein is declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Klein was Michigan’s starting tight end this season and led the group with 248
yards on 24 receptions, scoring one touchdown as well. His biggest game of the season came all the way back in Week 1 against New Mexico, when he went for 93 yards and a touchdown on six receptions.
Klein came to Michigan as a part of the 2022 recruiting class alongside Colston Loveland. Loveland quickly took on a large role in the offense during his sophomore and junior years, while Klein’s role slowly increased each year, culminating with his breakout in 2025. Although he might not have a lengthy track record of production at the college level, Klein has regularly been talked about as one of the program’s better overall athletes and has even made Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List” twice. Look for him to be the player that turns plenty of heads with his athletic testing at the NFL Combine, should he be invited.
By declaring for the draft, Klein is forgoing his final year of college eligibility. Furthermore, it leaves Hogan Hansen, Zack Marshall, and Deakon Tonielli currently as the top three options on the tight end depth chart heading into next season, but transfer portal additions and subtractions over the next few days are certainly possible.
