The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1386887
[ W I D E R E C E I V E R S ] 74 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2021 FOOTBALL PREVIEW The Wolverines deployed a pair of fresh- man receivers who saw the field a year ago. They remain freshmen in eligibility, because of the NCAA's freebie year due to COVID. But they've gained a season — or in this case, half a season — of invaluable experience. Roman Wilson caught nine passes for 122 yards with one touchdown last fall. A.J. Henning snagged a half-dozen catches for 59 yards. Both could do more on special teams — where Jackson has vacated the prime kick and punt returner spots — and in using their speed to catch passes and fly. "They just have to have confidence in their speed," Jansen said. "Those guys are burners. If you're talking about explosive plays, those are going to be the ones that make them. They have to be able to get off the line, get in their stride, get downfield and be able to look for the ball. "It's just about making a play, at that point. Those guys, they're go- ing to be the ones that are making those, hopefully, 40- or 50-yard passes, breaking a 30-yard catch into an 80-yard touchdown. That's where the speed at that position is going to come from." Jansen also got a look at a pair of true freshmen this spring. New- comers Andrel Anthony and Cristian Dixon bring speed to the mix as well, and held up throughout the spring sessions. "They're good athletes," Jansen noted. "They're guys that I think are going to be forced to be contributors. We'll see them sparingly, early. This whole game, anymore, is about speed. Yeah, I know you've got to be able to win up front, and that's where it all starts. But when you need to take it to the next level of competing for Big Ten championships, you've got to have speed at that position. "I think Anthony and Dixon both bring some more speed to that position." It wasn't long ago at all that Michigan's wide receiver corps seemed to be one of the best in the nation. Donovan Peoples-Jones, Tarik Black and Collins looked like a triple crown's worth of receiving royalty — at least on paper. They didn't appear too shabby on the 2019 stat sheet, either. They combined for 1,490 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns. They could have all been around last fall, but none of them took the field in a winged helmet. Peoples-Jones bolted early for the NFL, Black transferred and Collins pancaked the idea of performing in 2020 while the Big Ten waffled over whether or not to have a season. The next wave is in place, and got off to a pseudo start last season. Now, it's time for a much stronger move forward, in the connection between QBs and receivers, and the game-day plays made by the latter. "What they need to focus on is just sim- ply catching the ball," Jansen said. "If you think about Donovan Peoples-Jones, or even Nico — who went in the draft — and Ronnie Bell, just the consistency of catch- ing the ball … "If they go out there and limit the drops they have, this group is already going to be better than groups we've seen in recent history." Gattis also loves the potential of the com- ponents. While he singled out Johnson and Sainristil for superior play in the spring ses- sions, he knows Michigan has much more to offer at some of the most highlighted positions on the field. "Having a veteran like Ronnie Bell, but also having the depth with A.J. Henning, Roman Wilson and our two freshmen — Andrel Anthony and Christian Dixon — we've got speed," Gattis assured. "We've got a fast room, they're athletic, they can move with the ball in their hands. Now it's about adding the detail, the route savvy, to be able to create the separation to be open." Bell stressed during the spring how serious he is in seeing not only himself, but this group of YEAR-BY-YEAR RECEIVING LEADERS Year Player Catches Yards TD 2020* Ronnie Bell 26 401 1 2019 Ronnie Bell 48 758 1 2018 Nico Collins 38 632 6 2017 Grant Perry 25 307 1 2016 Amara Darboh 57 862 7 2015 Amara Darboh 58 727 5 2014 Devin Funchess 62 733 4 2013 Jeremy Gallon 89 1,373 9 2012 Jeremy Gallon 49 829 4 2011 Junior Hemingway 34 699 4 *Only played six games due to COVID-19 pandemic X-FACTOR X-FACTOR Can junior Ronnie Bell become a true No. 1 receiver? At the very least, the Wolverines need him to provide a set of reliable hands for whichever quarterback wins the starting job and help bring along a younger receiving corps. It would be a major boost if he could find the end zone more often, which he has done just twice since doing so two times as a freshman in 2018. Ronnie Bell has racked up 82 catches for 1,304 yards and four touchdowns during his first three years on campus. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL