Can Tyler Morris be a No. 1 receiver? On ‘the play’ that put him in the spotlight …
When Tyler Morris, Darrius Clemons, and Amorion Walker arrived at Michigan, former head coach Jim Harbaugh called them “the freak show” given what he’d seen from their athleticism in the early going.
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But athleticism doesn’t always translate to great play on the field. Walker is still looking to break out after switching to defensive back last year, transferring to Ole Miss and then back again as a receiver. Clemons is at Oregon State, having yet to realize his potential, while Morris … well, Morris appears to potentially be the best of the bunch.
WATCH: TYLER MORRIS on LEADERS AND NEXT PODCAST
A former top 100 receiver, the soft-spoken junior doesn’t really say a lot in interviews. He just shows up for work and does what he can to make an impact. His hard work returning from a knee injury on the way to becoming an impact player was rewarded in the postseason on the way to a national championship, his 38-yard touchdown vs. Alabama a difference maker.
He took us through the play on the recent ‘Leaders and Next’ podcast.
“Roman [Wilson] might have motioned over,” Morris recalled of the third-and-10 play. “He had a route breaking out. My route on that, I had just a shallow … if I see them sitting in cloud, then I sit. If I feel someone attached to me, then I just keep running.
“It wasn’t supposed to go to me. I wasn’t the first read. [Quarterback] J.J. [McCarthy] was able to get it off to me. I wasn’t sure if a DB had followed me because my back was turned, or if the ‘backer had stepped down, but I saw the other side was open, so I just kept going.”
There was a lot of green in front of him, but he still had to beat the defender to the sideline. When he did, his wheels took over. Andy doubt about his full recovery disappeared, and at that moment, many Michigan fans believed they saw the future.
“Once I caught the ball and turned up field, I saw it was the ‘backer on me,” Morris recalled. “And then I kind of saw the sideline and just tried to run as fast as I could straight. So that worked out. That’s really all I was thinking.
“I kind of blacked out once I scored, when we were all in the end zone celebrating. So, I don’t really know what I was thinking then. It was just a lot of yelling and talking and this and that. Then I got back to the sideline and sat down, and that’s when it kind of hit me … like, what just happened?”
What had happened was he had arrived, at least in many U-M fans’ minds. All the talk of “SEC speed vs. Big Ten strength” went out the window, Morris showing as much on that one play as anyone on the field. He’ll be option No. 1 this year, having shown this spring why many compare him to former U-M receiver and current San Francisco pass catcher Ronnie Bell.
We expect that type of production from him this year — if there’s someone who can get him the ball — and for a huge uptick in production. Most of it stems from one play, but it was a huge one, and one he’ll never forget.
“It was kind of like shock, I guess, just sitting back and understanding … I just scored my first touchdown in the Rose Bowl, while we were down,” Morris said. “It was a big moment.”
And one that hopefully portends great things for the future.
