Jim Harbaugh updates Ronnie Bell status, Michigan receiver room
Michigan receiver and captain Ronnie Bell opted to return for a fifth year after a knee injury robbed him of his senior season. Though Bell was limited this spring, head coach Jim Harbaugh believes he’ll be back soon and better than ever in 2022.
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Bell showed his big play ability on a 76-yard touchdown reception in a win over Western Michigan in the opener last year. He demonstrated it again on the 31-yard punt return on which he got hurt.
Though they were careful with him this spring, he should be back on the field for Michigan soon.
“Ronnie Bell is now just more like weeks away from being full speed,” Harbaugh told Jon Jansen on his In the Trenches podcast. “He’s running — he’s doing cutting. He’s really close, doing almost doing everything everybody else is doing.
“The rehab has been fabulous. He will step right in and possibly be even stronger, faster, better than he was last year.”
He’ll be part of a Michigan corps that played extremely well this spring. It’s a deep and talented Michigan receiver room, one that could rival the group of the early 2000s at some point.
“[Bell] will go along with the top guys, which are in no order — Roman Wilson, Cornelius Johnson, Andrel Anthony, A.J. Henning, who is doing a heck of a good job,” Harbaugh continued. “Mike Sainristil is playing both ways and starting on defense right now, but also comes over to offense and looks like he hasn’t left offense.”
Harbaugh anticipates Sainrisitl will continue to play both ways for Michigan during the season.
“He’s got the skillset to do it,” the Michigan coach continued. “He’s been really, really impressive, so that was [great]. If you’re going to bet on a guy, you bet on a guy like Mike Sainristil to be able to get that done, because he handles his business all the time. He’s just that kind of guy. He has the athleticism, skillset to be a two-way player.
“The other guys —Cristian Dixon is also on that verge of being able to break through. He did some good things, as well.”
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The Michigan freshmen, of course, have already made waves. Both Darrius Clemons and Amorion Walker made big plays in the spring game, and they’re the “prototypical” Michigan outside receivers, Harbaugh praised.
“Catching contested balls, running the deep crosses and the crossing routes,” he said. “Darrius definitely has the more physically developed [body]. Amorion, once he puts in the offseason, gets another cycle these next four weeks than another summer cycle, gaining the strength … the strength and endurance. You can just tell he’s going to be a tremendous football player to go with all that athleticism.”
“Darrius, physically, his endurance and strength is already there. He’s already developed. He will continue to develop, but there continues to be quite exciting with some of the 13 midyear freshmen who came in here and were participating in the spring.”
That includes Michigan frosh receiver Tyler Morris, who was limited this spring but has great potential, as well.
“We saw him in practice quite a bit. We just didn’t have him in contact,” Harbaugh said. “He also had an ACL injury when he was in high school, the spring. So, just coming up on about a year now. We just wanted to keep him out of contact in the spring. He still has a knee brace, though you wouldn’t know it.
“He is an elusive slot type of guy with a lot of speed.”
Overall, it’s a deep and talented group that should be a Michigan team strength this fall … and beyond.
