Each year at the conclusion of spring practices, the Michigan football team hosts a scrimmage in the Big House called the Spring Game. Drafted onto team “Maize” or team “Blue,” the Wolverines’ personnel go head-to-head, showcasing their skills and giving the crowd a glimpse of what next season’s team might look like come fall.
On Friday, sophomore tight end Hogan Hansen was asked who his first pick would be for the Spring Game. Despite the wealth of talent up and down the roster, Hansen’s answer came almost immediately: Max Bredeson.
When asked why he chose the graduate fullback above all, Hansen stated it’s because Bredeson is “unique” and “one of a kind.” In addition to his play, those same adjectives could be used to describe Bredeson’s path to Michigan.
Unlike most, Bredeson didn’t see much game action in high school, nor was he a ranked recruit. He played in just six games — not even as a fullback, but as a quarterback. Yet in 2021 he earned a spot on the Wolverines’ roster as a walk-on, starting in the tight end room before finally settling in as a fullback.
During his past four seasons with Michigan, Bredeson’s impact on the team has been monumental. A vocal leader both on and off the field, Bredeson’s consistency has anchored the Wolverines, providing them with some much-needed stability through both a national championship and an 8-5 season. And though he doesn’t usually have his hands on the ball, that doesn’t mean his performance on the gridiron isn’t valuable. One standout moment for Bredeson last season came during Michigan’s game against Southern California.
With less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, the Trojans led 24-20 while the Wolverines sat at fourth-and-goal. Pawning off the ball to former running back Kalel Mullings, Michigan watched as he charged toward the end zone. As Mullings sprinted laterally across the formation, one USC lineman attempted to stop him, but before he could reach Mullings, Bredeson was there, driving him back. Refusing to let the Trojans’ lineman get to Mullings, Bredeson bulldozed a path, and it was with this touchdown that the Wolverines won the game, 27-24.
Thanks to his performance, Bredeson shared the team’s Offensive Player of the Game honors. But even more so, his role in that game demonstrates that, while he doesn’t always pack the box score, Bredeson can deliver when Michigan needs him to.
While he makes significant contributions on the field, it’s in the intangibles where Bredeson’s influence truly tilts the scales.
“Max Breddy is, in my opinion, the offense tone-setter,” junior defensive back Brandyn Hillman said April 9. “You can see it, I see it at practice. I line up against him every day. I know when Breddy is in front of me, it’s going to be a good clash right there. Me and Breddy, we always get into it. That’s my dog, good competition.”
One of the biggest benefits that the Wolverines have reaped from Bredeson is that he inspires everyone else around him to be better. And that’s why last season, in an all-player vote, Bredeson earned the official title of captain. Heading into his fifth year, Bredeson has every intention of continuing that leadership.
“Just connecting to everybody,” Bredeson said on March 19. “We’ve got transfers, freshmen, just be a face, be someone they can talk to, help Michigan win. Be able to lead the guys however it has to be done.”
Regardless of whether or not Bredeson is on the field, he has been and will continue to be, a leader for the Michigan team. That’s why he’s the “tone-setter,” Hansen’s first choice pick and the anchor — an anchor that will stabilize the Wolverines come August.
The post Max Bredeson continuing to provide stability on and off the field for Michigan appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
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