From The Film Room: Marlin Klein
Michigan's 2022 class grew by one with the commitment of Rabun Gap (Ga.) Nacoochee School tight end Marlin Klein. The 6-7, 220-pounder is considered the No. 18 tight end and No. 371 player overall nationally by the 247 Sports Composite.
Strengths
Klein's biggest strength is his size combined with his upside. At 6-7, 220 pounds, he looks quite thin. That means he'll be able to get up to at least 245 pounds with ease while maintaining his speed and athleticism. When you look at him you just see a prospect begging to be developed, both physically and mentally.
Even though he's pretty big and obviously quite stretched out, Klein is still pretty sudden and shows the ability to get separation and win off the line of scrimmage. He's got plenty of long speed and is obviously a bit of a handful after the catch because of his size.
As a catcher of the football, he seems to do it pretty naturally and with his hands. His highlight tape is obviously only his good plays but he never lets the ball get into his body and transitions from receiver to runner pretty effortlessly.
Areas Of Improvement
For Klein it's just going to be about putting it all together. He's tall and a bit thin right now so he'll need to add bulk and get stronger, which in turn will improve his skills as a blocker. Because he's played mostly wide receiver in high school, he hasn't done much in line blocking to speak of. That's really all he needs to add to his game in order to be a complete tight end. He's a good route runner, a plus athlete and a really good receiver, but it will all feel a bit different doing those things from the inline position and through the wash. If he can bulk up, maintain his burst and adjust to playing the actual tight end position, look out.
The Bottom Line
The German-born pass catcher has only been playing football for a few years and is mainly used as a wide receiver. His upside at the tight end position is off the charts and I actually see this being a steal. When I look at him on the hoof and watch his tape knowing how big he is, I think he's a future NFL tight end. That's how he looks to me.
He's down in SEC country, but as an international prospect the appeal to "stay close to home" wasn't there. Still, Georgia extended an offer and usually recruits their footprint very well. This is a nice get for Michigan early in the process and allows tight ends coach Sherrone Moore to be selective with who he wants to recruit at the position moving forward.
