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 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 57 Campbell said. "We've got some really ex- plosive players." "There's talent, as was on display in the spring game," added Michigan football radio play-by-play man Doug Karsch. "But we're talking about not a lot of experience, not a lot of reps, and not a lot of evidence to say who is going to be the man. It really does feel like an out-of-house solution is probable. And somebody in house will emerge. "Michigan won a national champion- ship last year with two primary wide re- ceivers. It can be done, but they did other things in elite fashion that made up for it. You're probably going to see your best pass catcher being a tight end [Loveland]. He's your most proven pass catcher — and maybe the best in the country." U-M wideouts may have something to say about that, including Morris. He's now one of the elder statesmen of the crew, and contributed at key moments last year, despite the Johnson/Wil- son dominance at the position. Overall, he caught 13 passes for 197 yards and 1 touchdown, a 38-yard reception for a score in the Rose Bowl win over Alabama. Morris made it into all 15 games of the national championship season. He'll cer- tainly get more chances to see the football in 2024, and will embrace an opportunity to use his speed and quickness in another Big Ten title effort. "You've got Tyler Morris who, when given a chance, made a massive play against a team that had defensive play- ers populating the first few rounds of the NFL Draft," Karsch noted, harkening back to the Rose Bowl. Meanwhile, Moore impressed many with his touchdown catch in the spring game. That continued a string of good looks for the underclassman, who should give Michigan quarterbacks an available target all season long. "They love Freddie Moore as a route runner," Karsch said. "He seems to be a tactician of that. Kendrick Bell looks a lot like Ronnie Bell, as one would imagine." That's because Kendrick is the younger brother of the former Michigan standout. Kendrick Bell also looked good catching a touchdown pass in the spring game, but he's just in the early stages of his Michi- gan sojourn and will be expected to catch on quickly. "There is some promise there, but with that little experience, you have to hope the learning curve is steep and that the STARTERS ★★★ ★★★ Michigan's returning wideouts didn't com- bine for 500 yards in the national champion- ship season of 2023. That doesn't mean they can't be good. It does mean they haven't demonstrated their ability extensively on the big stage. Sophomore Semaj Morgan came the closest, snagging 22 passes for 204 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the national championship season. He'll be out there for certain, along with junior Tyler Morris. Where it goes from there depends heavily on fall camp and who steps it up. The Wolverines could feature intriguing puzzle pieces with the return of 6-3 junior Amorion Walker to the roster, and with younger performers showing flashes of promise. But at this position — like with many on the offensive side of the football this year — there's nothing carved in stone yet. DEPTH ★★★ ★★★ Depth at this spot got better after spring football, given Walker's return and a transfer portal addition. There may be more for a position offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell identified as one that needed bolstering, at least in terms of available performers. Michi- gan features some promising younger play- ers, albeit not the "freak show" referenced two years ago. This time there might be less talk and more production. OVERALL ★★★ ★★★ Once again, Michigan's leading receiver could get a challenge in catches and yardage from a tight end. The Wolverines are very good at the latter spot. With something to prove among the wideouts, they'll take that as motivation, and run with it, presumably. PRESEASON ANALYSIS Sophomore Semaj Morgan is Michigan's leading returning receiver after catching 22 passes for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns during his debut season. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER