#17

Marlin Klein

Former tight end at Michigan. 2025: 24 catches, 248 receiving yards, 1 TD.

TE · Michigan · Sr. · #17

6′6″ · 250 lb · Cologne

CFB Index 43 · #88 of 156 TEsMedium-low confidenceDrafted by Houston — Rd 2, Pick 27, #59 overall

The numbers

248

receiving yards · 2025

24 catches · 1 TD · 10.3 per catch

Best game: 6 rec, 93 yds, 1 TD, vs New Mexico

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former tight end at Michigan. 2025: 24 catches, 248 receiving yards, 1 TD.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Michigan in 2022.
Drafted round 2 by the Houston in 2026.

The full story, with sources

How he plays

Shows up in the passing game from any alignment.

TD rate: 50th percentile.

The full scouting read

How it ended

Three seasons at Michigan, 364 receiving yards — drafted at #59 overall by Houston.

His career

He barely played early on. Then he did not come off the field.

The week the volume broke through — put up 93 yds vs New Mexico.New Mexico · W 34-172025

2022

Signed with Michigan3-star out of Rabun Gap-Nacoochee

2026

Drafted by Houstonround 2, pick 59

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#545 national

CFB

College

Michigan

2023–2025

NFL

NFL Draft

R2 · #59

Houston · 2026

Coaching lineage · 2023–2025

3 coaches

2023

Jim Harbaugh

Michigan

2024

Sherrone Moore

Michigan

era →

2025

Biff Poggi

Michigan

era →

Played under 3 different head coaches: Jim Harbaugh, Sherrone Moore, and Biff Poggi. Multi-era developmental context.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Houston2026 NFL rookie season

#59Rd 2 · Pick 27

Houston2026 NFL rookie season

View college career stats ↓

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2023Michigan15-0HC: Jim Harbaugh · Run-heavy, slow tempo

2024Michigan8-5HC: Sherrone Moore · Run-heavy, slow tempo

2025Michigan9-4HC: Biff Poggi · Run-leaning

Where this profile ranks vs the TE cohort

Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles

43Rotational starter #88 of 156?

Medium-low confidence10 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: epa / target (19th percentile).

Real play-by-play efficiency

TD rate#399 / 798 · 50th pct

2.4%

Explosive rate#407 / 798 · 49th pct

9.8%

Yards / catch#525 / 798 · 34th pct

10.3

Catch rate#641 / 798 · 20th pct

58.5%

EPA / target#647 / 798 · 19th pct

0.18

Box-score rates (5)

Receptions#80 / 175 · 54th pct

Rec yards#87 / 175 · 51st pct

248

Yards / catch#99 / 175 · 44th pct

10.3

Long catch#125 / 175 · 27th pct

Rec TDs#126 / 175 · 21st pct

Season trend

EPA / target— first qualifying season

Explosive rate— first qualifying season

Catch rate— first qualifying season

TD rate— first qualifying season

Yards / catch— first qualifying season

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).

Situational

Situational · Share of own targets (PBP, 2025)

Third-down role

24%10 of his 41 targets came on third down · TE median is 22%

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 11 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	REC/g	YDS/g	YPR	TD/g
Home5g	2.4	26.4	7.8	0.2
Road6g	2.0	19.3	8.6	0.0

First half vs Second half

	REC/g	YDS/g	YPR	TD/g
Weeks 1-76g	2.7	30.2	9.4	0.2
Weeks 8+5g	1.6	13.4	6.9	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Kyle Whittingham

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2025

Rotational

Earning real snaps in the rotation without a starting job.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

43 · #88 of 156 TEs

Three-star recruit. Now #88 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	Michigan	24	248	10.3	1	--
2024	Michigan	13	108	8.3	0	--
2023	Michigan	1	8	8.0	0	--
Career		38	364	9.6	1	--

Signature plays

Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|

The plays that mattered most

fact

Week 1 · New Mexico · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +2.56Bryce Underwood pass complete to Marlin Klein for 15 yds for a TD (Dominic Zvada KICK)
Week 1 · Texas · 3&7 · Q2 · EPA +2.51(12:19) No Huddle-Shotgun #19 B.Underwood pass complete short middle to #17 M.Klein caught at Mich50, for 9 yards to the Texas46 (#4 J.McDonald), 1ST DOWN
Week 1 · New Mexico · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.90Bryce Underwood pass complete to Marlin Klein for 25 yds to the UNM 37 for a 1ST down
Week 1 · Texas · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.85(00:32) No Huddle-Shotgun #19 B.Underwood pass complete deep middle to #17 M.Klein caught at Texas50, for 20 yards to the Mich50 (#24 W.Roberson), 1ST DOWN
Week 1 · New Mexico · 2&8 · Q1 · EPA +1.77Bryce Underwood pass complete to Marlin Klein for 14 yds to the MICH 39 for a 1ST down
Week 1 · New Mexico · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.47Bryce Underwood pass complete to Marlin Klein for 27 yds to the MICH 33 for a 1ST down
Week 1 · Texas · 3&3 · Q2 · EPA +1.37(00:19) No Huddle-Shotgun #19 B.Underwood pass complete short left to #17 M.Klein caught at Texas36, for 7 yards to the Texas36, End Of Play, 1ST DOWN
Week 13 · Maryland · 2&8 · Q3 · EPA +1.18(12:16) No Huddle-Shotgun #19 B.Underwood pass complete deep middle to #17 M.Klein caught at UMD20, for 21 yards to the UMD19 (#22 J.Huskey), 1ST DOWN
Week 14 · Ohio State · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -1.16(09:44) No Huddle-Shotgun #19 B.Underwood pass complete short right to #17 M.Klein caught at UOM44, for 0 yards to the UOM46 (#3 L.Styles Jr.)
Week 12 · Northwestern · 3&22 · Q1 · EPA +1.05(10:05) No Huddle-Shotgun #19 B.Underwood pass complete short middle to #17 M.Klein caught at NU21, for 10 yards to the NU16 (#33 B.Brus)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 11 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	W 34-17vs New Mexico	6	93	15.5	1	27	Season-high 93 yds
Wk 3	W 63-3vs Central Michigan	1	8	8.0	0	8
Wk 4	W 30-27@ Nebraska	2	21	10.5	0	16
Wk 6	W 24-10vs Wisconsin	2	15	7.5	0	10
Wk 7	L 13-31@ USC	1	5	5.0	0	5
Wk 9	W 31-20@ Michigan State	1	4	4.0	0	4
Wk 10	W 21-16vs Purdue	2	16	8.0	0	10
Wk 12	W 24-22@ Northwestern	1	10	10.0	0	10
Wk 13	W 45-20@ Maryland	3	37	12.3	0	21
Wk 14	L 9-27vs Ohio State	1	0	0.0	0	0
Bowl	L 27-41@ Texas	4	39	9.8	0	20
Total		24	248	8.2	1	27

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology

Marlin Klein

2022

2026

2025 snapshot

Situational

Splits & context

Awards

Rotational

Career stats

Signature plays

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

Complete TE

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