The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 21 Football Playoff. Wilson rose with them, and he looks back with appreciation for the journey, and how much things have changed. "It wasn't the same as it is now," he said. "It's the difference between want- ing this school to be really good at foot- ball and a desire, a need for it to be really good. "It's not just that I'm trying to get better, but I'm trying to better other people at the same time. Getting in the film room, into the playbook. Not knowing just my position, but every- one's position. "Not just knowing the play, but knowing what it's designed for — what are the coverages, how the corners play, how can I use everything they know against them? "It's definitely a lot more fun than 2020 was. I'm not going to say people are a lot more relaxed or laid back. But definitely practices seem a lot more fun. The food tastes better. The campus is a little friendlier to the football players." Wilson has friends coming out of the woodwork these days. Some have al- ways been there, and they appreciate the senior and his development from Michigan's down days to the present memorable ride. Harbaugh appreciates far more than the spectacular. He was quick to point out Wilson's other touchdown catch against Nebraska. It involved McCarthy reversing field and rolling left and firing on the run to the back of the 'Huskers end zone. The play worked perfectly because Wil- son, reacting to McCarthy's movement, changed his route to mirror the QB. He snagged the bullet just inside the end line, and Michigan's rout continued. "The second touchdown catch he made was really great, too," Harbaugh said. "I love the way he's playing. He's getting a lot of attention now, and he's still winning — finishing plays, block- ing. "I'm really happy with our perimeter blocking as a receiver group … I'm par- ticularly happy with the big catches, the tough catches, the catches across the middle, the contested catches, the circus catches, the blocking." As for the scramble, Wilson noted: "The coaches put a big spotlight on that last year. We started working on scram- ble drills more often. You never know what J.J.'s going to do when he starts scrambling. You get open, any way pos- sible, and you hope he's going to throw it to you." Wilson harbored even greater hopes in fall camp, requiring stronger mental fortitude. Fires raged in Maui, and he went too long without knowing the fate of loved ones. He lost no close family members, but he suffered loss none- theless. "Finding out about it during camp, was pretty rough," Wilson admitted. "My close friends and family members could have been affected by it. It was pretty hard at first. "Knowing that pieces of my home are gone forever — it's a pretty crazy thing. It was hard on me, but it wasn't the end of the world. The islands of Hawai'i have very strong people, and I know they're going to bounce back. But it was hard." By contrast, an acrobatic touchdown catch isn't. But over four years, the se- nior worked his way into a state of mind readying him for anything coming his way. ❏ Wilson Rides High Near U-M's Halfway Point Roman Wilson secured 9 touchdown receptions through Michigan's first seven games, tied for the best pace in the nation. By any measure, it's a scorching start, and it's been a long time coming for a U-M receiver. The last time a Michigan wideout caught as many as 8 touchdown passes in an entire season, Donovan Peoples-Jones hauled in precisely 8 during the 2018 campaign for the Wolverines. The last time a Wolverine snagged 9 came in Jim Harbaugh's first year as Michigan head coach. Wideout Jehu Chesson made 9 TD grabs in that 2015 Harbaugh debut campaign. In 2017, Michigan recorded only 9 touchdown catches total, just 3 of them by wide receivers. Wilson by himself nearly tripled that number in half a season for Jim Harbaugh's highly ranked crew this year. In 2014, the year before Harbaugh came on the scene, the Wolverines posted 10 total receiving touchdowns, only 2 of them by wide receivers. Wilson now has an opportunity to put himself among the most productive Michigan players of the past 25 years, when it comes to touchdown catches. He's quickly zeroing in on the top 10, and a big sec- ond half of the regular season — plus whatever comes after — could vault him into some elite territory. Here is a look at Michigan's top receiving touchdown producers since 1998. Player Year TD Receptions Braylon Edwards 2004 15 Braylon Edwards 2003 14 David Terrell 2000 14 David Terrell 1999 14 Mario Manningham 2007 12 Marquise Walker 2001 11 Tai Streets 1998 11 Braylon Edwards 2002 10 Jehu Chesson 2015 9 Jeremy Gallon 2013 9 Mario Manningham 2006 9 Roman Wilson (in 7 games) 2023 9 Donovan Peoples-Jones 2018 8 Adrian Arrington 2006 8 Jason Avant 2005 8 If Wilson matches his performance through the first seven games of the regular season in the back half of the campaign, he'll find himself at the top of that list. Two factors should be considered, though. One, Wilson is drawing much more attention by defenses of late because of his hot start. Also, the competition in the remaining schedule looms as substantially tougher than what the Wolverines have seen so far. Then again, the sheer potential number of games the Wolverines might play — if they keep winning — could offset those factors somewhat. It will be difficult for anyone to equal or surpass the greatest single-season touchdown spree in school history by a receiver, which occurred in 1991 when Desmond Howard caught 19 TD passes on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. But Wilson continues catching on in a big way for a team seeking greatness. — John Borton