The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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[ W I D E R E C E I V E R S ] THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 61 group to be more explosive and to be able to exploit defenses more often. "We have to be more consistent," he said. "Whether that's ball place- ment, catches, all those things. That just gives you more confidence when you're game planning. "In the spring we fixed all those areas, which will really help us when we get to the fall." Enter receivers coach Ron Bellamy, back for his third year on staff after returning to U-M in 2021 to help give the program a boost. What a job he's done since he re- turned home, too — two Big Ten title rings, a pair of victories over Ohio State and a receiver room that has continued to improve with a by- committee approach. Like many contending teams, though, it starts with the veterans. This year's group has played a lot of football at Michigan. "It was a fun spring, and it was great with me going into my second spring ball with those guys," Bellamy said. "We're just familiar with each other, so spring ball went very well. "Those two leaders, Cornelius and Roman, I really challenged those guys with Ronnie [Bell] leaving to take on a bigger leadership role, and they did it. They did a remarkable job. "They're not big 'rah-rah' guys — Roman and CJ are lead-by-exam- ple guys. They will pull the young guys aside and show them how you do it, why you do it. It's awesome to have those guys in our room." Pair Of Veterans Will Lead The Room In 2023 With Bell having moved on after leading the team in receiving (889 yards) for the third time in his four years in Ann Arbor, it's likely that Johnson or Wilson will be called upon to be the new go-to guy. All eyes are on Johnson, who made huge strides this spring. Johnson actually took a step back- ward numbers-wise last year from 620 yards as a junior to 499 in 2022, but nobody will ever forget how he got 160 of them in Columbus. Johnson secured his place in Mich- igan lore with first-half touchdown receptions of 69 and 75 yards, with the first a catch and run that tied the score at 10-10. It was arguably the biggest play of the season. Bellamy insisted he knew Johnson had it in him. "As a receiver, you don't know how often the ball is going to come your way," he said. "When an opportu- nity presented itself in the Ohio State game, he made two of the biggest clutch plays in his football career." Getting him back for one last sea- son was a huge boost to the room, Bellamy added. "CJ just wanted the opportunity to finish things off," he said, "… make sure he got his degree, which he has. He wanted to win another Big Ten PRESEASON ANALYSIS STARTERS HHH½ There are veterans with experience here, but it's a stretch to say there are any proven stars. Cornelius Johnson is the leading re- turnee with 499 yards, and he's played a lot of football. He showed some big-play ability with his two long touchdowns in the win at Ohio State. At the same time, he averaged only 15.6 yards receiving per game. Roman Wilson has big-play potential, but he has accounted for only 918 yards in three years, and the third receiver — whoever it is — will be unproven. DEPTH HHH½ There are a lot of talented players here, in- cluding veterans and young guys. Sophomore Tyler Morris is the one to watch in the slot, but junior Peyton O'Leary, sophomore Dar- rius Clemons, and freshman Fredrick Moore all had very good springs and could contrib- ute to the corps. It's possible some of the others could step up, too — there are 10 total in contention, and all have their strengths. Keep an eye on true freshman Karmello English. OVERALL HHH½ We'd bet against a 1,000-yard receiver again this year, especially with the talented tight end room, junior running back Donovan Edwards' potential as a receiver out of the backfield and the elite running game. Junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy will have a lot of potential targets, and there will be more catches available with Ronnie Bell having moved on to the NFL. Expect a by-committee approach again in 2023 among a solid but not spectacular group. QUICK FACTS Position Coach: Ron Bellamy (Second year coaching WRs at U-M, third overall) Returning Starters: Cornelius Johnson (31), Roman Wilson (9) Departing Starters: Ronnie Bell Projected New Starter: N/A Top Reserves: Darrius Clemons, Tyler Morris, Peyton O'Leary Newcomers: Karmello English, Fredrick Moore, Semaj Morgan Moved In: N/A Moved Out: A.J. Henning Rookie Impact: Moore, Morgan Most Improved Player: Wilson Best Pro Prospect: Johnson MICHIGAN'S LEADING WIDE RECEIVER BY YARDAGE SINCE 2013 2013 – Jeremy Gallon: 89 catches, 1,373 yards, 9 TD 2014 – Devin Funchess: 62 catches, 733 yards, 4 TD 2015 – Jehu Chesson: 50 catches, 764 yards, 9 TD 2016 – Amara Darboh: 57 catches, 862 yards, 7 TD 2017 – Grant Perry: 25 catches, 307 yards, 1 TD 2018 – Nico Collins: 38 catches, 632 yards, 6 TD 2019 – Ronnie Bell: 48 catches, 758 yards, 1 TD 2020* – Ronnie Bell: 26 catches, 401 yards, 1 TD 2021 – Cornelius Johnson: 40 catches, 620 yards, 3 TD 2022 – Ronnie Bell: 62 catches, 889 yards, 4 TD *U-M only played six games due to the COVID-19 pandemic