ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Coming into the 2023 season, nobody thought wide receiver would be a weakness for Michigan football, but so far, the unit has been even better than expected.
Let’s start with a caveat: The way J.J. McCarthy is playing, his receivers are obviously going to look better -- but that’s a two-way street. His first two games wouldn’t have been nearly as impressive without help from his receiving corps.
---> 6 positives, 5 negatives, and 4 questions after Michigan’s win over UNLV
The top of the position group looks exactly as fans thought it would: Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson.
Regardless of who’s officially No. 1 and No. 2, that duo has been incredibly reliable for McCarthy, and they both offer him something different.
Wilson leads the team with 167 yards and five touchdowns. He’s one of only four players in the nation with at least five touchdown catches, and two of those four have already played three games.
Johnson has been just as involved. He’s tied with Wilson in catches (10) and just behind in yardage (153 receiving yards).
Wilson’s speed has been what separates him so far. He has no problem getting behind the defense, and when McCarthy feeds him the ball in space, he’s a threat to take it to the house. That’s exactly what happened against UNLV, when McCarthy hit Wilson in stride so he could turn upfield for a 47-yard score.
Johnson, on the other hand, has been more of a possession receiver through two games. He doesn’t have many yards after the catch because McCarthy has found him near the sideline or threaded the needle between multiple defenders.
We all know Johnson has big-play potential, though. Nobody will ever forget his 160-yard, two-touchdown game at Ohio State. Just wait, it’ll come.
Behind Wilson and Johnson, there’s an ongoing battle for the third starting receiver spot. On Saturday, it sure looked like sophomore Tyler Morris has an edge.
Morris caught three passes against UNLV, and all three moved the chains:
- A 16-yard catch on third and 8.
- A 15-yard catch on third and 6.
- A 9-yard catch on third and 6.
McCarthy trusted Morris in those pivotal spots to keep possessions alive, and all three drives ended in Michigan touchdowns.
The Wolverines are making a point of spreading the love in the passing game, even beyond the wide receivers. Colston Loveland has six grabs for 63 yards, and Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards have already combined for 14 catches.
Jim Harbaugh and his staff said they were going to emphasize a more balanced offense this season, and the primary ingredient for that is McCarthy. But it sure helps that he has a pair of reliable veteran receivers and a versatile cast of weapons around them.
There’s no Marvin Harrison Jr. or Keon Coleman at Michigan, but I think the Wolverines are happy with who they’ve got.
