After early-season injury setback, Michigan TE Marlin Klein says he’s back to 100 percent

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — For the past couple of years, Michigan football has hyped up tight end Marlin Klein again and again. And in Week 1, it all made sense, as Klein led all receivers with nine catches for 93 yards. However, after that, he was injured during the week and hasn't yet returned to form from that first game of the season.

And every few weeks, he shows up again on the pregame injury report, hampered by his continual inability to get and remain healthy.

Now the Wolverines are set to embark upon the latter third of the season, with three regular season games remaining. And Klein says that he's finally fully healthy and ready to go.

"Right now I feel 100% and I'm ready to play those next three games at 100%," Klein said. "And obviously getting banged up week two before the Oklahoma game was a huge bummer for me. But, you know, I wasn't worried about our offense and how that was going to impact it. Because I knew Zack Marshall was going to do his thing, and Hogan Hansen was out there playing. 

"So, yeah, I think that's one of the things that makes me not really worried. Like when I go down, I'm not worried about our offense and how that's going to affect it. So I don't really think about it too much. Obviously, it's a bummer, but I can only control the controllable. But right now I feel 100% and I'm ready to go."

Klein has appeared in seven of the nine games this season and is still the leading tight end in terms of catches and yards, with 15 for 162 yards and one touchdown. But in recent weeks, redshirt sophomore Zack Marshall has come on strong, with standout games against Washington and Purdue, where he combined for eight catches for 130 yards (he's just two yards behind Klein's production overall, despite having four fewer receptions).

Even though fans weren't expecting Marshall to take such a big step forward this year (the expectation was that Klein and Hogan Hansen would be the two leading tight ends), Klein hasn't been surprised to see Marshall coming on strong this season.

"I'm not surprised by it at all," Klein said. "I mean, the kid comes in here, puts his head down, and works each and every single day, and I think that's the best part about our room. We have so many guys that can play football and play football out against whoever. Against Washington, you saw Deakon Tonielli and Zack Marshall take over the show, and I think that's a huge shout-out to Coach Casula getting anybody ready to play. 

"But yeah, it doesn't surprise me that he's been doing what he's doing out there."

With the bye week now in the rearview, the Wolverines will need Klein, Marshall, Hansen, and Deakon Tonielli to help out a receiving corps that's been inconsistent thus far. Especially considering that the maize and blue have just two games before the Ohio State matchup, anyone who can help elevate the offense will certainly be welcome to do so for Michigan football in anticipation of The Game.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan TE Marlin Klein says he’s finally 100% healthy again

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