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UMass WR transfer Anthony Simpson commits to Michigan football

clayton-sayfieby:Clayton Sayfie•about 9 hours•

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Anthony Simpson
Michigan Wolverines football has UMass transfer Anthony Simpson on the radar. (Photo by Meg Potter/Sun-News / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Michigan Wolverines football has added a second wide receiver from the transfer portal to go along with former Indiana standout Donaven McCulley. UMass transfer Anthony Simpson has pledged to head coach Sherrone Moore‘s program, according to a report from ESPN.com.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder entered the transfer portal Oct. 2, 2024, and has now landed with Michigan months later. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

The Hartford, Conn., native played for U-M’s tight ends coach in 2023, when Steve Casula was the offensive coordinator at UMass.

Simpson signed with Arizona in the 2020 recruiting class, but served primarily as a kick returner, averaging 19 yards on 18 attempts with a 39-yard long in 2022, following a redshirt year in 2021.

He transferred to UMass and enjoyed a productive 2023 campaign, hauling in 57 catches for 792 yards and 3 touchdowns and rushing 11 times for 93 yards and a score.

Simpson suffered an injury early in the 2024 campaign, and then was announced as no longer a member of the UMass program in late September, without explanation from then-head coach Don Brown. Soon after, Simpson entered the transfer portal to search for a new home.

All told, Simpson has caught 68 passes for 910 yards and 3 touchdowns in his career, playing in 32 games.

Simpson is mostly a slot receiver, taking 81.9 percent of his passing snaps at that position in 2023. However, he has shown he can be a downfield threat, with a 9.2-yard average depth of target that season. He averaged 8.5 yards after the catch per reception.

Michigan has landed 12 players out of the transfer portal — Simpson, long snapper Trent Middleton (UCLA), quarterback Mikey Keene (Fresno State), running back Justice Haynes (Alabama), linebacker Troy Bowles (Georgia), wide receiver Donaven McCulley (Indiana), offensive lineman Lawrence Hattar (Ferris State), offensive lineman Brady Norton (Cal Poly), cornerback Tevis Metcalf (Arkansas), safety TJ Metcalf (Arkansas), defensive lineman Tre Williams (Clemson) and defensive tackle Damon Payne Jr. (Alabama).

Moore said after Michigan’s 19-13 upset win over Alabama in the Dec. 31 ReliaQuest Bowl that he wants his offense to be more explosive next season. Moore replaced Kirk Campbell with Chip Lindsey, the program’s new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Wolverines have also looked to upgrade at wide receiver, bringing in McCulley and Simpson.

“We want to be physical on defense, on offense,” Moore said. “But we want to be explosive on offense. Those are things that we’ve got to work on in the off-season to make sure we’re more explosive, especially in the passing game.”

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