Michigan Wide Receivers: One Thing I Like, One Thing I Don't, One Thing To Watch

The Wolverines' top two pass-catchers from a season ago are headed to the NFL, but a young crop of receivers is full of intrigue...

Matt Lounsberry | Jul 4, 2024

Jan 1, 2024; Pasadena, CA, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Tyler Morris (8) runs with the ball during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2024 Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Rose Bowl. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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As the calendar flips to July, excitement builds for the 2024 college football season. We are just three weeks away from Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis and a little over a month from the start of fall camps across the country.

Coming off arguably its best season in program history, Michigan brings another loaded roster into 2024 in the form of “Team 145”. In preparation for the upcoming year, it’s a good time to break down each position group for the Wolverines with “one thing I like”, “one thing I don’t” and “one thing to watch”. Up next is a unit which lost its top two in terms of production, but brings back a pair of veterans to lead an intriguing group — Wide Receiver.

One Thing I Like

Michigan has a bunch of guys who bring a lot of different skill sets to their wide receiver room. Junior Tyler Morris is sure-handed, reliable and a very good route runner. Sophomore Semaj Morgan is a shifty speed demon who can be a nightmare for opposing defenses when he gets the ball in his hands. This position group is light on depth, but these two guys have established themselves. As Michigan breaks in a new starting quarterback, Morris and Morgan could be asked to be a security blanket for the Wolverines’ signal-caller.

There’s also a ton of intrigue around sophomore Frederick Moore, a guy Michigan’s coaches and those around the program have spoken very highly of, and junior Amorion Walker — a tall, fast athlete who looks like a candidate to take the top off the defense. Moore got me excited when showed off his speed in the Wolverines’ spring game with a 48-yard catch-and-run touchdown. I think he can be a breakout player for U-M this season. I’m not sure how Walker will be utilized, but he’s a talented kid who could emerge as a difference-maker as well.

One Thing I Don’t

There’s no two ways about it, Michigan lost a lot of guys from this position a season ago. The Wolverines top two receivers — Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson — are off to the NFL after fine careers in Ann Arbor. Michigan also saw Darius Clemons, Cristian Dixon and Karmello English depart via the transfer portal. That’s a lot of attrition for one position group to deal with, and it’s sapped the Wolverines of their depth at receiver.

We’ll have to see what Michigan gets from Youngstown State transfer C.J. Charleston, former walk-on Peyton O’Leary and sophomore Kendrick Bell. Everyone knows the Wolverines’ offensive identity is centered around running the ball. That will put less pressure on a mostly new position group in 2024, but it’s also made it difficult for Michigan to attract top talent to the position.

One Thing To Watch

What is Michigan going to get out of Amorion Walker this year? After jumping back and forth between wide receiver and defensive back his first two years in Ann Arbor, the 6-foot-3, 180-pounder went through spring practice with Ole Miss before transferring back to Michigan in April.

Walker’s physical makeup and top end speed make him an intriguing deep ball target for the Wolverines, but Michigan’s offense isn’t really predicated on taking shots down the field. Maybe Walker takes on a bigger role as a returner in special teams. Head coach Sherrone Moore and wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy have a lot of talent on their hands with Walker, and I’m anxious to see how he will be utilized. Unless he has a big fall camp however, I’m not sure if Walker will crack the starting lineup at receiver.

In Case You Missed It

This article is part of a series examining every position group on Michigan Football’s 2024 roster. You can find the other position groups that Michigan Wolverines On SI has already covered here: (Quarterback, Running Back, Offensive Line)

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