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 62 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW den, Utah, emerged from Fremont High as a consensus four-star recruit, the No. 1 player in the state who accumulated 226 catches, 3,757 yards and 44 touch- downs over the course of his four-year high school career, and the No. 39 wide receiver nationally. As a senior, he snagged 63 catches for 1,272 yards and 16 touchdowns. Of late, he turned a few heads at the next level. "Salesi Moa, our freshman wide re- ceiver that just got here a few months ago, has done some really good things," Whittingham said. "I'm not saying that's a surprise, but he's really made strides." Following the spring game, Whitting- ham even mentioned him in conjunction with Hiter, who figures to see extensive time on the field this season. "They're both highly recruited, highly rated freshmen coming in," noted the head coach. "Both are just fresh out of high school. They've only been here a few months. For being in the program for three months and very young, I thought they both did nice jobs today. Both of their futures are very bright." The fight for game snaps, targets and providing Michigan depth is on after that quartet. Among the returning candidates, Goodwin leads the production numbers from last season. He made 12 catches for 148 yards in 2025. Bell secured 3 grabs for 54 yards and a touchdown against Texas in the Citrus Bowl. Johnson also stirred talk among his teammates, regarding his spring ball ef- forts. For Oscar Smith High in Virginia last year, Johnson topped 40 catches, 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns. Mean- ❱ ❱ X-FACTOR X-FACTOR Freshman SALESI MOA, a four-star recruit, the nation's No. 1 athlete and No. 42 overall prospect per Rivals, is slated to make a big impact right out of the gate, providing explosive athleticism from the slot, outside or even as a returner. He had 63 receptions for 1,272 yards and 16 touchdowns at Ogden (Utah) Fremont High last fall. Moa originally signed with Utah in December before following the coaching staff to Michigan and transferring in January 2026. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL U-M's Leading Receiver By Yardage Season Player Stats 2025 Andrew Marsh 45 catches, 651 yards, 4 TD 2024 Colston Loveland (TE) 56 catches, 582 yards, 5 TD 2023 Roman Wilson 48 catches, 789 yards, 12 TD 2022 Ronnie Bell 62 catches, 889 yards, 4 TD 2021 Cornelius Johnson 39 catches, 620 yards, 3 TD 2020* Ronnie Bell 26 catches, 401 yards, 1 TD 2019 Ronnie Bell 48 catches, 758 yards, 1 TD 2018 Nico Collins 38 catches, 632 yards, 6 TD 2017 Grant Perry 25 catches, 307 yards, 1 TD 2016 Amara Darboh 57 catches, 862 yards, 7 TD 2015 Jehu Chesson 50 catches, 764 yards, 9 TD 2014 Devin Funchess 62 catches, 733 yards, 4 TD * Six-game season