The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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PLAYER BIOS POSITION COACH Josh Gattis is entering his sec- ond season as the offensive coor- dinator and wide receivers coach at Michigan, after spending the 2018 campaign with Alabama as the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. Last year, Gattis shifted the Michigan offense from pro-style to an up-tempo spread attack. The transition took some time, especially considering the team turned the ball over 13 times in its first six contests. But the Wolverines showed progress throughout and were much improved by the end of the campaign, passing for more than 300 yards in each of the last three games. His offense ranked No. 21 in the country in ESPN's SP+ efficiency rating and averaged more than 400 yards per game. Michigan's wide receivers thrived under Gattis' tutelage in 2019. Five players had 25 or more re- ceptions, and two Wolverines had more than 700 receiving yards. Sophomore Ronnie Bell led the way with 48 catches for 758 yards and one touchdown, while junior Nico Collins posted 37 receptions for 729 yards and seven scores. Collins' average of 19.7 yards per catch ranked second in the Big Ten. Junior Donovan Peoples-Jones also caught six touchdown passes, and was chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. At Alabama, Gattis helped lead the Crimson Tide to the national championship game and coached a myriad of talented players. Among them was Heis- man Trophy runner-up quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was taken No. 5 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, as well as a wide receivers Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy, who were also selected in the first round. Bama scored 45 or more points in 10 of its 15 games in 2018. The receiving corps was led by Jeudy, who hauled in 68 passes, averaged 19.3 yards per catch and found the end zone 14 times. He was not alone, though. The Crimson Tide had four receivers (plus a tight end) eclipse the 690-yard mark. Before his lone season in Tuscaloosa, Gattis spent 2014-17 at Penn State as the passing game coordina- tor and wide receivers coach. He helped develop All- Big Ten wide receivers DaeSean Hamilton and Chris Godwin, and was named the 2015 Big Ten Recruiter of the Year by Scout.com for his work off the field. From 2012-13, he mentored the wide receivers at Vanderbilt, including two-time All-American Jordan Matthews, who finished his career as the SEC's all- time leader in receiving yards and receptions. In 2011, Gattis was in charge of the wide receiv- ers at Western Michigan, where he coached Jordan White, who led the NCAA with 140 catches and set several Mid-American Conference records en route to consensus All-America honors. Gattis started his college coaching career as an offensive graduate assistant at North Carolina, and before that he played at Wake Forest and excelled as a safety. He was named All-ACC in 2005 and 2006, and was taken by Jacksonville in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played in the league for two seasons before turning his attention to coaching. RETURNING PLAYERS RONNIE BELL • WR Jr. • Kansas City, Mo. Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 184 • Played in all 13 games with 10 starts in 2019, and led the club in receptions (48) and receiving yards (758) with one touchdown. • Received All-Big Ten honorable mention honors from the media and was named the team's Of- fensive Skill Player of the Year. • Posted career highs in catches (nine) and receiv- ing yards (150) against Michigan State. • Saw snaps in every game for the Wolverines in 2018, tallying eight catches for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns. • Named the team's 2018 Rookie of the Year on offense. • His first U-M reception was a 56-yard touchdown catch against Nebraska. • Set every receiving record at Park Hill High School, while amassing 2,476 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns on 159 catches during his career. Each ranks among Missouri's top three in history. • Won the 35th annual Thomas A. Simone Award as the top football player in the Kansas City area, but was still listed by Rivals.com as a two-star recruit. Year GP/GS Rec. Yds. Avg. TD 2019 13/10 48 758 15.8 1 2018 13/0 8 145 18.1 2 Totals 26/10 56 903 16.1 3 NICO COLLINS • WR Sr. • Birmingham, Ala. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 222 • Started in 10 of his 12 appear- ances in 2019, and racked up 37 catches for 729 yards and a team-best seven touchdowns. • His average of 19.7 yards per catch ranked second in the Big Ten last season. • Named honorable mention All-Big Ten by the coaches and media, and earned the title of U-M's Offensive Player of the Year. • His career-high three touchdown receptions in the win over Indiana were the most in a game for U-M since 2015 (Jehu Chesson). He also notched a career-high in receiving yards (165) and tied his best for catches (six) in the contest. • Played in all 13 games with 11 starts in 2018. • Received the team's Most Improved Player (Of- fense) Award for his 38-catch, 632-yard and six- touchdown season. • Named All-Big Ten honorable mention by the coaches. • Appeared in the first four games of the 2017 sea- son, with one start, before missing the remainder of the year due to injury. • Ranked as a four-star prospect, and the No. 17 wide receiver and No. 120 overall recruit in the country by Rivals.com. Year GP/GS Rec. Yds. Avg. TD 2019 12/10 37 729 19.7 7 2018 13/11 38 632 16.6 6 2017 4/1 3 27 9.0 0 Totals 29/22 78 1,388 17.8 13 GILES JACKSON • WR So. • Antioch, Calif. Ht.: 5-9 • Wt.: 188 • Played in all 13 games as a freshman in 2019, and was named All-Big Ten honorable mention by the coaches and media as a kick returner. • Averaged 25.9 yards per return on 24 attempts, and broke loose for a 97-yard touchdown against Maryland. • At receiver, caught nine passes for 142 yards and one score. • Also carried the ball 10 times for 69 yards and one touchdown. • With his 22-yard scoring dash against Ohio State, he became one of two players in U-M history to cross the goal line via a kick return, a reception and a run during their freshman season. • Placed on the MaxPreps 2018 California Large Schools All-State second team. • Named first-team All-Metro by The San Francisco Chronicle as a senior. • Racked up 2,420 yards and 31 touchdowns as a pass catcher plus 1,817 yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground in his high school career. • Ranked as a four-star prospect, and the No. 37 wideout and No. 233 overall player nationally by Rivals.com. Year GP/GS Rec. Yds. Avg. TD 2019 13/1 9 142 15.8 1 WIDE RECEIVERS Giles Jackson is one of two freshmen in school history to score touchdowns via a kick return, a reception and a run during his debut season. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL 72 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW