The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1520409
JUNE/JULY 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 27 ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL called him a "warrior" — and El-Hadi's status is unknown, but the coordinator noted that he will be "a big part of our of- fensive line." Sophomore safety Brandyn Hillman also missed the intrasquad scrimmage with an undisclosed injury. — Clayton Sayfie OC KIRK CAMPBELL ADDRESSES BIGGEST PORTAL NEED With the spring game in the books, an evaluation of the roster, especially on the offensive side of the ball, is in the cards for the Michigan coaching staff Following the split-squad scrimmage on April 20, Team Maize head coach and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell emphatically shot down the idea Michigan could add a por- tal quarterback. "That's not part of our thought process right now," he said. "Roster evaluation is always part of the process, but right now, that's not something we're looking at." He later said: "You can spin the words however you want for an article. I said what I said." However, that does not mean portal help is off the table for the offense. One of the positions that Michigan seems a slam dunk to target is wide re- ceiver. After offseason attrition, U-M entered its split-squad scrimmage with only five scholarship wideouts on the roster — senior Peyton O'Leary, junior Tyler Morris and sophomores Fredrick Moore, Semaj Morgan and Kendrick Bell. Campbell likes the room but acknowl- edged that at the very least, depth is needed. Options aplenty emerged during the spring portal period from April 16-30, and the board should expand now that spring camp is over. "I think we've got some explosive guys. And obviously, I think it's a top-loaded room," Campbell said. "We need to get some guys to help out there. We probably will look at some guys in that position … how many, I'm not sure. "We just don't have numbers. You look at the roster depth, you need enough guys. Hamstring injuries are going to happen, quad injuries. So, we just have to make sure we have enough guys to field the roster." Moore, who is projected to be one of the breakout performers for the Wolver- ines this fall, likes the room and appreci- ates the competition. But he did note that reinforcements could help. "The depth is light right now. We [had a few wide receivers enter] the portal," Moore said after the game. "We're still strong though. We don't have that many numbers, but we are still strong. We still have guys who are going to step up and do their job. But it's tough. "The legs are burning at practice. It's only five or six of us. So, we just stay strong, stay mentally healthy. Coach [Ron] Bellamy works with us. We don't have as many reps where we just run in a hundred yards, down, back, down, back, running routes in and out. So, he helped us with that. He's cut practice time, cut some periods some, and that's really been beneficial for us. "I feel as though we are a strong group and we don't want to get off the field," Moore said. "We're competing too. So, it feels like all my guys are dogs and they just want to stay on the field, so we don't worry about the reps. We made the reps count. I feel as though we can get some help. I know coaches want us to get help. "At the same time, if we don't get help, we're still going to be good anyway." — Anthony Broome U-M ADDS PAIR OF RECEIVERS On May 1, Michigan added a grad transfer in C.J. Charleston, a receiver from Youngstown State. That same evening, former Wolverine receiver/defensive back Amorion Walker announced he was returning to Michigan after transferring to Ole Miss in January. A 6-foot, 190-pounder, Charleston spent five sea- sons with the Penguins. He still has two years of eli- gibility remaining, however, after redshirting in 2019, dealing with the COVID season in 2020, and missing the entire 2022 campaign with an Achilles injury. Last fall, the Gates Mill, Ohio, native caught 33 passes (third on his team) for 503 yards (also third) and 4 touchdowns (tied for second) for FCS-level Youngstown State. Walker, who played at Michigan in 2022 and 2023, has two seasons of eligibility remaining. He's ex- pected to play wide receiver for the Wolverines. He competed at that position as a freshman in 2022 before moving to cornerback in 2023. He practiced as a defensive back this spring at Ole Miss. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Walker played in five games and totaled 66 defensive snaps in 2023. He tallied 3 tackles, including a half-stop for loss, and added a pass breakup in a 49-0 shutout of Michigan State in late October. The Ponchatoula, La., native is known for his ath- leticism, which landed him on The Athletic's "freaks list" last summer at No. 12 in the nation. According to Bruce Feldman, Walker ran a 3.89-second shuttle that would've been tops at the 2023 NFL Combine. His 6.10-second three-cone drill (hand-timed) would be the fastest in combine history. Walker saw time in six outings as a freshman in 2022, burning his redshirt. He made 1 catch for 4 yards, which came against UConn. He did see time on Senior safety Rod Moore underwent success- ful surger y on his left knee performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the lead physician for the Los Angeles Rams and Dodgers. PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF Sophomores Kendrick Bell (12) and Semaj Morgan (82) are two of just five scholarship wide receivers on the roster this spring. In late April, the Wolverines added more depth at receiver through the transfer portal. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL