Tyler Morris’ path to Michigan, outlook for 2023

With receiver Ronnie Bell heading to the NFL, various Michigan wideouts have a chance to replace Bell’s production. Tyler Morris could be one of the main beneficiaries.

The story so far

Morris was a four-star prospect in the class of 2022 and was ranked as the No. 18 WR and No. 104 overall prospect in his class. Morris received offers from the likes of Penn State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Notre Dame, among others.

Morris was a high school teammate of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy at Nazareth Academy in Illinois. During Morris’ sophomore season at Nazareth with McCarthy as QB, Morris and McCarthy hooked up for 68 receptions, 1,237 yards, and 17 touchdowns.

Morris’ didn’t see the field in abundance during his first year at Michigan, hauling in three receptions for 25 yards. In all, Morris appeared in eight games last season.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh compared Morris’ skillset to that of fellow Michigan wideout Roman Wilson back in 2021, calling Morris Roman Wilson- like.

“Very fast, elusive, shifty, playmaker — Super smart,” Harbaugh said.

Morris, however, sees a bit of Ronnie Bell in his game. Morris said he learned a lot from Bell last season and applies some of that to his own game.

“There’s definitely some things — I understand the comparison of some things. It’s good. I mean, the things Ronnie did here, it’s good to see people looking at me that way,” Morris said. “I definitely see some similarities in our game.”

While Morris will carve his own path at Michigan, there’s one glaring similarity, height and weight. Bell’s 6-foot-zero, 190 pounds, and Morris is 5-foot-11, 185 pounds.

Outlook moving forward

Morris is a talented player that could rapidly rise up the depth chart this fall. His chemistry with J.J. McCarthy in high school was undeniable, and the hope is the connection will be special at Michigan, too.

“Little things where I know what he’s gonna do,” Morris said about his connectivity with McCarthy. “He knows what I’m thinking.”

Morris could ultimately be used in a variety of ways, bouncing from the slot to the outside, or even taking carries on end around and jet sweeps. If Morris can get open and make players miss in the open field, he will be utilized in Michigan’s offense.

Other receivers will make an impact for the Wolverines next season, including Roman Wilson, Cornelius Johnson, Darrius Clemons, Peyton O’Leary, and Cristian Dixon. However, even in the midst of a packed wideout depth chart Morris has the potential to stand out and break out in 2023.