Michigan Impressed 2025 TE Hayden Bradley, Will Receive Official Visit

A three-star tight end from Georgia took a visit to Michigan over the weekend and left campus certain that he’d be back for an official visit over the summer.

Hayden Bradley

Over the weekend, Michigan hosted 2025 Buford (Ga.) tight end Hayden Bradley as part of a busy spring ball period, and the Wolverines impressed during the three-star prospect’s time in Ann Arbor. 

“Man, Michigan was awesome," Bradley told Wolverine Digest. “They practice with intensity and passion! They have a strong culture and tradition. Being able to watch coach [Steve] Casula coach was huge for me, and seeing the work Colston [Loveland] and [Marlin] Klein put in was dope.”

For Bradley, watching the Michigan tight end group was a key component to his visit. At 6-5 and 220 pounds, Bradley is also receiving Division I interest at receiver, but the U-M staff views his future as an athletic, multi-purpose tight end.

“If I was to pick Michigan, the coaching staff said my role would be to replace Colston,” Bradley said. “They see me as a very versatile tight end.”

Originally, Bradley picked up an offer from Michigan on Jan. 24, but at that time Jim Harbaugh was in the immediate stages of accepting a head coaching position with the Los Angeles Chargers. So, this past weekend doubled as an opportunity for Bradley to connect with the new assembly of U-M coaches under Sherrone Moore. 

“The staff is great,” Bradley said. “Everyone has good, positive vibes and just loved being there in Ann Arbor.”

Of course, Michigan has received praise over the offseason for its strong culture and is fresh off a National Championship victory, so a positive atmosphere is to be expected. However, those sentiments are being further echoed from a current Wolverine with similar Peach State roots. 

“Me and Klein bonded really well with both of us being from Georgia,” Bradley said. “I’m always going through Rabun Gap, so next time he is back in Georgia we will definitely be hanging out. Klein is an awesome kid.”

After visiting Michigan, Bradley is certain that he’d like to take another visit to campus, this time of the official variety, in the near future, most likely June. 

“I have some schools in mind,” Bradley said. “I know Miami I have is June 7th to 9th, Penn State the 23rd. Michigan will be getting an official visit, not sure when yet.”

Once those visits are complete, Bradley is planning on announcing his commitment in June, well before his senior season begins so that he can focus linearly on improving the Wolves 11-2 record from a year ago. 

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“I thought 2023 went well for me,” Bradley said. “It was definitely the season that put me out there in the recruiting world. I definitely had some eye catching plays, but playing at Buford those are second nature with all the great talent and coaching we have. Unfortunately didn’t get the result we wanted in the ‘23 season, so this ‘24 season we are going to have a chip on our shoulder.”

On tape, Bradley shows a lot of key traits that tend to translate well into Michigan’s offense in recent years. At 6-5, Bradley has the frame and leaping ability to out-jump defenders in the red zone, and he’s quick enough to pull away from linebackers that are caught in coverage. Throw reliable hands into the mix and Bradley has bevy of skills that can be utilized in Michigan’s offense down the line. 

Currently, Michigan already has one tight end pledge in the 2025 class with Alcoa (Tenn.) four-star Eli Owens as a verbal commit, so it looks like the U-M staff would be in favor of adding dual TEs this cycle.

Is Michigan’s 2025 class coming together too slowly for a team fresh off a National Championship victory? Let us know and follow @EricJRutter on Twitter for more Wolverine Digest updates.