The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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2022 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE also attended regular physical therapy sessions at PRO Sports & Spinal Rehab. Morris also transferred from Nazareth Academy to Plainfield (Ill.) East in or- der to accelerate his path to graduation. Morris earned enough credits to enroll early at Michigan and is now on campus finishing up the final part of his rehab. "I'm really close to being back," Mor- ris said. "I just have to work on more change of direction, like cutting and comeback routes. I feel like I have my speed back. I even feel comfortable with speed cuts. It's more just the hard breakdowns right now. I should be 100 percent by the end of February or March." Before the injury, Morris was known as a crafty route runner with elite hands and underrated athleticism. He was a star for Nazareth Academy as a sopho- more and the favorite target of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The two grew up playing together and formed a strong bond throughout their respective high school careers. And Morris can't wait to reconnect with Michigan's quarterback of the future. "I'm really excited to play with J.J.," Morris said. "It's been two years since we played with each other. I think we really help each other's games a lot. It should be really good to get back with him. He reached out to me when I signed, and I talked to him a little bit. We have a really good connection." Morris racked up more than 1,700 all- purpose yards and 24 touchdowns as a sophomore, and was consistently a top performer on club 7-on-7 with Midwest Boom going into his junior year. With Boom, Morris faced top defensive backs from around the country and won more than his fair share of reps. Midwest Boom program director J.R. Niklos, who played fullback for three different NFL teams in the 2000s, had high praise for Morris. "Tyler is like a Larry Fitzgerald, Isaac Bruce, Tim Brown type," Niklos said. "I played six years in the NFL. Guys that last the longest are guys that do their jobs consistently. He's where he needs to be every time. He's consistent. He's smart. He's that guy that has 150 yards, and you don't even realize it because he's constantly doing it over and over again. "He's going to be that guy that has stats on stats. He's a great system re- ceiver. He has speed and hands. He's got everything that a system offense would want." But Morris is more than just an of- fensive fit at Michigan. A top student in the classroom and one of the most well-respected kids in the class, Morris already resembles a true Michigan Man. When looking at U-M during the recruiting process, Morris and his parents honed in on the school's prestigious academics and global brand as well as its family at- mosphere. "In the grand scheme of things, we've always talked about education first," said Morris' father, Michael. "It was about identifying a school where he could get a great education. "From there, we kind of took a hands-off approach. Ultimately, he was going to have to make the decision on where he wanted to go. But I was interested in sitting back and seeing what type of relationships were being formed with the staffs. It was never about how they plan to use him — if I had to put a percentage on it, I would say it was 10 percent of what we talked about. The other part was everyday life. "Are you going to have someone to go to when times are tough and we're not around? That's the part that I was impressed with. That made the big dif- ference for me. As we just found out, things can change really quickly. When that happens, do you have someone around that can support you? Michigan can provide so much for him." ❑ Morris, who committed to the Wolverines in April 2021, is an early enrollee at Michigan. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND MARCH 2022 THE WOLVERINE 51 THEY SAID IT • On3 director of scouting and rank- ings Charles Power: "He's a crafty re- ceiver that can line up outside or in the slot. He's got good ball skills and obvi- ously has a connection with J.J. McCar- thy, being a former high school team- mate of his. He's a very good player that can track the ball downfield. "He's not going to blow you away in terms of size or speed or athleticism, but he's just very good. He's just a very solid receiver across the board, and with that, you could do a lot of things in your lineup at multiple spots." 2022 Projection After tearing his ACL in April 2021, Morris should be a full participant in the spring. He projects to the slot but can also play outside. He does the little things well, and though he doesn't have any particularly flashy traits, he's a complete wide receiver with a work ethic that should earn him some snaps within the first two years, barring an unfortunate setback in his recovery. Morris was a top-100 recruit across the board prior to his injury and has a strong connection with J.J. McCarthy, a prep teammate. Morris "I just love the way Michigan was with me throughout the whole process. … They were there throughout my whole injury recovery. They never doubted me. It always felt like a family. I'm excited to officially be a part of the team."