The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1525654
18 THE WOLVERINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2024 BY CHRIS BALAS M ichigan football wide re- ceivers haven't put up huge numbers in the last decade or so, mainly because they didn't have to. The Wolverines won three straight Big Ten titles and the College Football Playoff national championship by lean- ing heavily on the running game, with the pass catchers proving equally as vi- tal as blockers. But when the time called for it, they almost always responded. Roman Wil- son in a 27-20 Rose Bowl win over Ala- bama comes to mind — a huge, fingertip grab to set up his game-tying touch- down in the fourth quarter — as does Tyler Morris' big play. Morris scored on a 38-yard catch-and-run touchdown in which he outran the Alabama defense to the sideline and the end zone, finally showing what he could do on the na- tional stage. That's nothing compared to what he does every day in practice, Michigan sophomore receiver Semaj Morgan said in August. "The play against Alabama … he's way crazier than that," Morgan praised. There's a reason Morris was a top- 100 prep receiver nationally, after all. Though he suffered a knee injury in high school that set him back, the junior is better than ever and impressing against some elite defensive backs in prac- tice this fall. He's had a "phenomenal camp" so far, receivers coach Ron Bel- lamy praised during the second week of camp, and all indications are he's ready to step into that role as the go-to guy. It doesn't have to be a 1,000-yard guy — probably won't be, given the last one at U-M was Jeremy Gallon in 2013 and there's no proven passer yet — but as former receiver Ronnie Bell proved dur- ing his tenure, the No. 1 wideout in this offense can be extremely valuable. Besides both wearing No. 8, there are other similarities between Bell and Morris, Bellamy said. "I think Tyler had an opportunity to play with Ronnie for a year and model a lot of things that he does off Ronnie's game," the Michigan receivers coach said. "The movement skills, in and out of breaks, his ability to go track the ball, high-point it. His ability in the run game … he shows up. "He's physical; you can move him around, and he's pretty much a cerebral player. He could be on that [Bell] level." Though there hasn't been much film of Michigan fall practice, one clip in which he put an incredible move on All- America corner Will Johnson has stood out. Morris' ability to stop, start, and accelerate is next level, and he's ready to prove it on a weekly basis. "Tyler is going to be a very produc- tive receiver here at Michigan. He's one that could do it all; he doesn't have any limitations," Bellamy said. "He's not the guy that's just like, 'Oh, he can move the chains.' He can stretch the field verti- cally, intermediate routes. You can put him on screens. You can do everything with Tyler. He's really morphed himself into being a complete receiver." BREAKING OUT Junior Wide Receiver Tyler Morris Is Ready For WR1 Label After scoring a critical touchdown in the Rose Bowl win against Alabama, Morris enters his junior year poised for a breakout season as the Wolverines' go-to receiver. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN