Michigan's deeper WR room, led by McCulley, Morgan, poised to surge in 2025, per Bellamy

2 days ago

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- While most of the talk of Michigan football's wide receivers has centered around Donaven McCulley or two of the true freshmen in Andrew Marsh and Jamar Browder, there's an insistence emanating from Schembechler Hall that the entire room has improved dramatically.
Yes, McCulley and Browder bring size that the Wolverines didn't have, but as WR coach Ron Bellamy sees it, there's now more experience -- and that goes beyond the Indiana transfer.
With players stepping up, and the added competition, Bellamy feels like this is a unit ready to surge into the 2025 season, especially considering that it's been an iron sharpens iron situation in Ann Arbor.
"The thing I feel really good about our group is we're deeper," Bellamy said. "We're deeper than we've been in years past. Just to name a few, Kendrick Bell, Peyton O'Leary, guys like that. You mentioned Fred and Semaj. McCulley's played a lot of football. Having a guy like Simpson and Joe Taylor and Channing Goodwin, I'Marion Stewart, those guys are older. Then you bring the three freshman in -- Marsh, Browder, and Jacob Washington. Our room is much deeper than it has been last year, even in years past. What that means for us is competition. That means competition. The guys have to bring it every day because the best guys, the best players are going to play."
Two names who have been mentioned repeatedly in fall camp are juniors Semaj Morgan and Fredrick Moore. We've seen Morgan have some electric plays the past two seasons, while Moore only really had the one game -- against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
But Bellamy sees them both improving because they both recognized that they weren't living up to the lofty standards set throughout the history of Michigan football.
"They're older, more experienced," Bellamy said. "They just attacked the offseason. They knew last year wasn't up to our standard. They challenged themselves. They challenged our room to be better. Those guys, being juniors now and being around the program, they've been on the national championship team, they understand what the standards are. Daily, every day, they're chasing excellence."
Perhaps more prescient information comes from the man tasked with stalling the wideouts in fall camp, and that's secondary coach LaMar Morgan. Not only does he see a lot of positives coming from that room, but he thinks that by having better quarterback play -- which he's seen thus far throughout fall camp -- should elevate the room just as much as new faces or experience.
"When you look at a receiver corps, besides maybe one or two guys, it's really the same core," Morgan said. "But I think the quarterback play has been better, right? So these guys are getting open. I think the ball's in the right spots. I think we have done a good job.
"I think McCulley's done a great job on the outside. He's a big, strong receiver. I think he could be a really good force here, but he's still learning the position, right? He's a high school quarterback, college quarterback, and he's playing receiver now. So, of course, Bellamy has to coach him up on some things, but you talk about effort and competitor. I think he's done a great job. Semaj in the slot, he's really good. You play a man in the slot against Semaj. He's quick. He's strong. He's confident. I think that's been awesome. Fred Moore on the outside, he has speed. And then, there's Channing, Mr. Reliable. He's going to be right wherever he needs to be, play multiple spots.
"And then we got young receivers that haven't played as much that people don't know about. Marsh and Jamar, and all those guys. I think the room -- Simp, that just got here -- I think that room is loaded with talent, and I think they are hungry to prove that they belong and everything they can do, and Coach Bellamy's the guy to do that, man.As you all know, Coach Bellamy's fiery. He's a good teacher. He takes time with them. He's coached DBs here. He coached receivers here. He played DB here. He played receiver here, right? So I just think he's a teacher, and I think that's what that room needs.I think they're doing a great job.
"Quarterback's been putting the ball where it needs to be. It's tough, man. You're talking about -- there's some throws. You're in the perfect position, and the ball's on the ticks, and you're playing press man, and the guy throws the ball right on the money. So it's just hard to defend. They're making us defend the whole field, which I think that's what you want. He's making us better. Going into the season, we should be better in the passing game for sure, offense and defense, with what we're going against every day."
Fans will get an opportunity to see the new-look offense in action on August 30 when the Wolverines host New Mexico for the 2025 season opener at The Big House.