The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1468055
48 THE WOLVERINE JUNE / JULY 2022 FOOTBALL RECRUITING The 2023 recruiting class is an espe- cially strong year at quarterback. You have Arch Manning, the No. 1 overall prospect nationally who comes from football royalty, and two superstars from Los Angeles in Malachi Nelson and Nico Iamaleava. Moore is often left out of the No. 1 quarterback discussion and has dropped in the rankings. Forget the fact that he's younger than some of 2024's top signal- callers, he's from Detroit. They don't play real football up north. It's too cold. They're afraid to play at night in the Public School League. Have you seen their facilities? King plays no competition! Moore's heard it all before. It only drives him. "One hundred percent, most defi- nitely, yes" Moore said when asked if Detroit players are disrespected. "A lot of players get overlooked. Look at Sauce Gardner. You see what he's doing now. He was the No. 1 defensive back off the board in the draft. I feel like a lot of coaches need to come here and look at us. There is great competition in the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan." Moore doesn't have to be on this bus. He wants to be on this bus. It's the same reason he flew to Los Angeles last year to compete side-by-side with Nelson at the Elite 11 regional. He wants to prove he's the best — not only for himself but for the entire city of Detroit. Beyond that, Moore wants to give back and make sure the next generation isn't held back by bias. "I want to do this and do camps to show kids that they always need to bet- ter themselves," Moore said. "Kids come up to me and joke about my stars and offers. But I always tell them to keep working, live life and enjoy every day. This process can be overwhelming and stressful. Enjoy these great days. That's what I try to tell them so they can be better in the future." Semaj Morgan THE PEOPLE'S CHAMP Erika Morgan is done playing games with her son. Despite Semaj Morgan's plea to get on the bus, she's not having it. Semaj must remain in the car with his parents — Erika tapes the games and Semaj Sr. coaches the top 15U team — while they drive from Eastern Kentucky down to the tournament in Gatlinburg. After the end of the event, the plan is to head straight down to Atlanta to compete in the Under Armour camp. Much like Moore, Semaj is willing to travel wherever to prove he's the best. As Moore groans about having to hear consistent screaming for another three hours, Morgan pouts because he can't be a part of it. Moore enjoys being a mentor but can only take so much. Morgan loves the youth team. Hanging out with the middle schoolers might be his favorite part about traveling with Sound Mind Sound Body. "I always wanted a little brother, and I never got one," Morgan said. "They are like the little brothers I never had. They're really funny. They're just kids. It's cool to be around them. I love those kids." Morgan recalls being lost when he was in that position. Morgan played quarterback and didn't transition to the wide receiver position until the end of eighth grade. At Sound Mind Sound Body workouts, he had to go head-to-head against for- mer five-star cornerback recruit Will Johnson. Needless to say, Morgan lost more reps than he won. But that only made him better. With Johnson serving as a mentor instead of a bully — Detroit is known as The Family, after all — Morgan developed into one of the best slot receivers in the nation and an eventual Michigan commit. Now, Morgan wants to do the same for those looking to learn from him. "My first year I was going against Will and all the big names in Michi- gan," Morgan said. "The way they car- ried themselves helped me learn how to carry myself. "I can be childish, but I learned how to be serious. Now, I have these kids following me, so I have to make sure they're doing the right thing. "They always ask me how to get to where I'm at, and I just tell them to work. That's the best advice you can give a kid." No member of the Max Ex team talks with a more Detroit accent than Mor- gan. He embodies the city. Every person you ask about Morgan will describe him the same way — a dog. Standing at just 5-9, 180 pounds and only carrying a three-star ranking, Morgan plays like he's the biggest and baddest dude on the field. He's gritty, tough and backs up his loud bark with plenty of bite. The West Bloomfield (Mich.) High product is a pit bull, plain and simple. Morgan (on right, shown with Moore), a gritty wide receiver from West Bloomfield (Mich.) High who has already committed to U-M's class of 2023, loves being around the youth players in the Sound Mind Sound Body program, calling them "like the little brothers I never had." PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND