Jim Harbaugh, Wolverines worried about severity of Ronnie Bell injury

Michigan wide receiver Ronnie Bell was carted off the field Saturday with an apparent leg injury. The senior had pulled down a 76-yard touchdown catch just minutes earlier before his exit in the Wolverines season opener against Western Michigan.

The top returning receiver for Michigan, Bell led the team in receptions and receiving yards each of the last two seasons. He was injured after returning a 31-yard punt midway through the second quarter.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh met with the media following Michigan’s 47-14. He said Bell will have an MRI done Saturday night.

“Just worried about Ronnie Bell right now,” he said. “As we come out of this game that’s our biggest concern. He’ll get an MRI tonight and we’ll find out the severity of the injury.”

The extent of Bell’s injury is unknown, but he was extremely emotional following the injury. He appeared later Saturday in the Michigan Stadium tunnel in a wheelchair.

What the injury means for Michigan

With first-time starting quarterback Cade McNamara, Bell showed Saturday why he could become the quarterback’s go-to target. But with Bell’s future availability unknown, the rest of Michigan’s wide receiver unit will have to step up.

Bell was an All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2019, and last season he led the Michigan Wolverines receiving corp with 26 receptions, 401 yards and a touchdown. He entered his senior season at Michigan having played 32 games and catching 82 passes, while registering 1,304 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Cornelius Johnson will be looked to fill the role as top receiver. A junior, he entered Saturday with just 20 career receptions. He developed chemistry late in the season with McNamara, however, hauling in five catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns in Michigan’s comeback win with Rutgers.

The 6-foot-3 receiver has the frame and talent to be McNamara’s primary target. He will have to step up with Bell’s injury.

Bell-McNamara connection

With pure speed, Bell was able to outrun the last line of Western Michigan’s secondary and reel in a perfectly-placed pass from McNamara, which he proceeded to take to the house for a 76-yard touchdown.

Bell’s touchdown reception may not even be his best play of the day, as he had one more highlight earlier in the contest that was ultimately called back due to offensive pass interference. McNamara, on Michigan’s previous possession in the second quarter, dropped back in the pocket and again found Bell in single Coverage. Bell pushed his off a Western Michigan defender, making a slight window of separation. He capitalized on the tiny window, reeling in an unbelievable one-handed catch on the sideline, toe-tapping his way to what would’ve been a first down. However, the play was called back by the referees following the pass interference flag.