Freshmen Faces: Matt Hibner

Jim Harbaugh and his staff have done a great job at identifying tight end talent and it looks like they've done it again with Matt Hibner.

Coming out of Burke (Va.) Lake Braddock, Matthew Hibner was considered the No. 396 overall player nationally and No. 12 tight end in the country. After playing the early part of his prep career mostly on defense as a pretty lanky athlete, Hibner now checks in at 6-4, 230 pounds and is a very impressive looking, athletic tight end. He really blossomed over the last two years of his high school career and has the potential to outplay his rankings.

Recruitment

Hibner committed to Michigan on June 9, 2019 just nine days after being offered by the Wolverines. He checked out campus in an unofficial capacity and pulled the trigger to commit. The big tight end racked up nearly 30 offers over his high school career but Michigan was his most prominent tender. He had opportunities from the Ivy League, some MAC schools and NC State, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech to name a few.

Player Breakdown/Player Comparison

Once Hibner started lining up primarily at tight end, he started to get noticed. He's a strong, physical player, and really took the the blocking part of the game while maintaining his speed and athleticism as a pass catcher. He's a plus athlete and is typically described as someone who is nowhere near the ceiling of his potential.

When I watch Hibner's highlight tape, I see a good-sized athlete at tight end who can do a little bit of everything. He's not necessarily a blazer or the best athlete on the field, and he's not a powerhouse blocker in the run game, but he's really, really adept in both areas. To me, that sounds like Hunter Henry of the Los Angeles Chargers. 

When he's healthy, Henry is one of the more well-rounded tight ends in the NFL. He's a good athlete, with really dependable hands and does a good job as a blocker. He's listed at 6-5, 249 pounds, which is a little bit bigger than Hibner, but Hibner will almost certainly be at least that big by the time he finishes his Michigan career.

2020 Outlook

Tight end isn't necessarily a major focal point in Josh Gattis' offense, and Michigan has three pretty good ones in Nick Eubanks, Luke Schoonmaker and Erick All who will eat up all of the snaps. Because of that, I don't see Hibner playing as a freshman. Maybe he gets in a few games, but I think he'll maintain his redshirt, get bigger, stronger and faster, and push for time in the rotation in 2021.