The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 69 WIDE RECEIVERS "I was fortunate enough to see Nico get back out there," Gattis said at the end of spring ball. "He did some individual drills. To see a big kid like that be able to sink his hips and stick his foot in the ground and transition, that just made my spring. "He missed a big chunk … I've got to catch him up now, and he's got to catch himself up this summer. People were able to see the talented player he is. I think he can be an elite receiver … and I'm excited to get a chance to work with him." The third among Michigan's touted trio, Black is seeking a full campaign to show what he can do. After suffering a season- ending injury to a foot in the 2017 non- conference campaign, he hurt the other foot in 2018 training camp. He didn't make it back until the Oct. 20 contest at Michigan State. Black wound up with four catches for 35 yards on the year, boosting his truncated-seasons total in re- ceiving yards to 184 over two years. Gattis and Black — who also missed some time this spring via injury — are both ready to witness the breakout effort this fall. "He's a guy that mentally has to get over the hump," Gattis said. "He can't be con- cerned or worried about his past history as far as his injuries. That's the thing I've stressed with him. 'Don't worry about inju- ries, don't try to save yourself. You've got to just try to apply yourself each and every day to be the best player that you can be.' "He's got potential, but he's got a long way to go. He's been eager to get back to work. He worked on little things. Being able to see his progression this spring, see him get better, is what I'm excited about. We've just got to continue pushing every one of those guys. "Sometimes when you're going through years of injuries, it plays a mental thing in your head. He's got to be able to get over that hurdle. Sometimes when you're cau- tious, you actually put yourself in risk of being injured because you're holding back and you've just got to be able to let it go. That was the biggest thing I stressed to Tarik this spring — just let it all go." FYI Michigan's wide receivers combined for only three touchdown catches in 2017 (the team had nine overall). Last year, junior Donovan Peoples-Jones accounted for eight by himself, among the 18 secured by the wideouts (24 overall). Redshirt sophomore Oliver Martin, who recorded 11 catches for 125 yards and one touchdown last season, transferred to Iowa and is applying for immediate eligibility. New offensive coordinator Josh Gattis will look to revive a Michigan pass- ing offense that ranked 79th nationally last year. The Wolverines averaged 215.7 yards per game through the air, fewer than all but five other Big Ten teams. The new OC may also be looking for more big plays from his combina- tion of quarterbacks and wide receivers. Michigan finished No. 55 in the nation last season in yards per completion, averaging 12.57 in 2018. Alabama, the team Gattis was helping guide, averaged 16.13, good for sixth in the country. The Crimson Tide, with Gattis as co-offensive coordinator and wideouts coach, ranked No. 6 nationally in passing offense in 2018, throwing for 323.6 yards per game. Alabama led the nation in passing efficiency, with a rat- ing of 197.34 (Michigan was 20th nationally at 149.78). The Crimson Tide also led the nation with 52 touchdown passes — one more than Ohio State — and in passes of 20-plus yards (82), 40-plus yards (28), 50-plus yards (18), 60-plus yards (eight) and 70-plus yards (five). "We're by far not the best receiving corps in the country. Could we be that by the end of the season? We have the potential, but we're not there yet." OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND WIDE RECEIVERS COACH JOSH GATTIS PRESEASON ANALYSIS: WIDE RECEIVERS STARTERS ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Michigan features an embarrassing wealth of talent at wideout, but keeping it on the field is another matter. If Wolverines such as juniors Donovan Peoples-Jones, Nico Collins and redshirt sophomore Tarik Black stay healthy, they should dominate in new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis' scheme. DEPTH ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ U-M has assistance available for its headliners. Sophomore Ron- nie Bell showed excellent flashes his true freshman season, while rookie Mike Sainristil tore it up in the spring and is expected to make an immediate impact. X-FACTOR It's really all about staying healthy. Black's feet cost him a season and a half thus far, and Peoples-Jones' scare this spring was only alleviated in June. As of mid-June, everything on the medical front ap- peared to be mending nicely. OVERALL ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Gattis said it best — this group has unlimited potential, but is limited in what it has accomplished so far. Add in the fact that a whole lot of time for learning a new offense got lost to injury, and many are now playing catch-up. There's time, though, and the four stars listed here could go to five by November.