Ron Bellamy talks 'fast and athletic' wide receiver, another who's 'competing to start'

Michigan Wolverines football has quite a few differences offensively from last season, with a new coordinator in Kirk Campbell and only one returning starter. Campbell has been intent on “tailoring” the offense to his players’ strengths, and wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator Ron Bellamy believes Campbell will do that at a high level.

“He’s an outside-the-box thinker,” Bellamy said of Campbell. “He’s sharp, man. I love working with Coach Campbell. I mean, he’s a great coach and an even better man — and I think the kids gravitate toward that.

“I think a lot of times when guys are very creative, very smart guys, a lot of guys do what looks cool or whatever. But he plays to the strengths of our players. When you have a coordinator that can do that and find different designs of getting guys the ball, getting open space and playing to guys’ strengths, the offense can thrive.”

Junior wide receiver Tyler Morris has stepped up as the leader of the group, and Bellamy said he’s having a “phenomenal” fall camp thus far. The Wolverines need others to step up, though, though they do have some options. Junior Amorion Walker is one of those, having played wideout at Michigan in 2022 before moving to cornerback in 2023. He spent the spring at Ole Miss but transferred back to Ann Arbor and is a receiver again.

“I had him at receiver as a freshman and then he moves over to defensive back his entire sophomore year,” Bellamy said. “Obviously, didn’t have him in the spring. Just coming over and trying to get him familiar with everything in the system, our offensive system and back to the receiver traits. He’s caught on quickly. Glad he’s back.”

Asked why it’s significant that Michigan added Walker back, the coach said with a grin, ” He’s 6-4, fast and athletic.”

Sophomore Fredrick Moore made just 3 catches last season but played early in the year, with Bellamy noting that he was trusted by the staff right away. In fact, 76 of his 107 offensive snaps came in the first six outings of the regular season.

“Fredrick Moore is playing at a high level,” Bellamy said. “He’s doing some really good stuff in camp for us. He’s a young man that, last year, we had a couple of nicks and bruises, and he played early. He played super early last year. He was ready. When the older guys got healthy, he took on a lesser role on offense.

“Now, he’s competing to start. He’s where I thought he would be and just gotta keep pushing him.”

Sophomore Semaj Morgan was a spark plug for Michigan last season, with 4 touchdowns (2 receiving, 2 rushing), making the greatest impact of any freshman on the squad. He was a role player, though, with 14 of his 22 catches coming behind the line of scrimmage. Now, he’ll be asked to play more than just in the slot and catch the ball with increased opportunities down the field.

“He’s been really attacking being a more complete receiver,” Bellamy said of Morgan, who he coached at West Bloomfield (Mich.) High. “That’s Semaj. You watch some of the things he did in high school — he’s a phenomenal player — he played all over the field, and that’s how we plan to use him.

“Last year as a freshman, you had two NFL guys with Roman [Wilson] and Cornelius [Johnson] and you had a seasoned guy like Tyler coming off a freshman year where he played, Semaj sat back and learned.

“We were able to expand his role so that’s what I’m looking forward to with Semaj, doing a little bit more than he did last year. He’s ready for the challenge, he’s had a great camp thus far and just putting as much on his plate as possible just seeing how well he can do with the increased role we’re asking him to take. So far, so good.”

Until Michigan added graduate C.J. Charleston from the transfer portal (Youngstown State), the Wolverines didn’t have a senior in the wide receiving corps. His experience — he caught 61 passes for 867 yards and 4 touchdowns for the Penguins — is vital for the group.

“Experience. A leader,” Bellamy said of what he brings. “We have no seniors in our room. Bringing in an older guy, he’s a seasoned guy and the fact that it didn’t matter what level, he’s played against Big Ten opponents. He’s played Michigan State and Ohio State, done good things. He’s been great. He’s been a great addition to our room, great addition to our football program.

“He does everything right. From a leadership standpoint, he’s a mentor and he’s a pretty darn good football player.”