Marlin Klein
German-American football player (born 2002)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marlin Klein (born September 17, 2002) is a German professional American football tight end for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, winning a national championship in 2023. Klein was selected by the Texans in the second round of the 2026 NFL draft.
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Klein with the Michigan Wolverines in 2024 | |||||||
| No. 83 – Houston Texans | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Tight end | ||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | September 17, 2002 Germany | ||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School (Rabun Gap, Georgia, U.S.) | ||||||
| College | Michigan (2022–2025) | ||||||
| NFL draft | 2026: 2nd round, 59th overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 2, 2026 | |||||||
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Early life
Klein was born in Germany on September 17, 2002, the son of Marco Albers and Melanie Klein. He grew up in Cologne, initially playing soccer and basketball as a youth before turning to American football.[1] He played for the junior team of the Cologne Crocodiles.[2] With the help of Gridiron Imports Foundation, a US Registered Non-profit that helps international football players play in the United States, Klein later transferred to Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, a boarding school in Rabun Gap, Georgia, to play high school football in the United States.[3] He was rated as a three-star recruit and committed to play college football at the University of Michigan.[4]
College career
In 2022, Klein enrolled at the University of Michigan and played in two games as a freshman before redshirting the season.[5] In 2023, he played in ten games, winning the national championship with Michigan that season. He also made his first collegiate reception, finishing the year with one catch for eight yards.[6]
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In 2024, Klein moved into a larger role. In week three versus Arkansas State, he was Michigan’s leading receiver with three receptions for 43 yards.[7] Klein played in all 13 games for the Wolverines, starting six times. He totaled 13 receptions for 108 yards and was a key contributor in the running game as a blocker.[8]
In 2025, Klein opened the season as the No. 1 tight end, and in the first game against New Mexico had a career-high and team-high six receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown.[9]
Statistics
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 248 lb (112 kg) | 32+3⁄8 in (0.82 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 6 ft 8+1⁄8 in (2.04 m) | 4.61 s | 1.64 s | 2.69 s | 7.42 s | 36.0 in (0.91 m) | 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) | ||
| All values from NFL Combine[10][11] | ||||||||||||
Klein was selected by the Houston Texans in the second round with the 59th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.[12] Klein was the highest drafted German player since Björn Werner was drafted in the first round, 24th overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2013 NFL draft.[13]
