Michigan WRs coach Ron Bellamy reveals trait they want to improve most
The Michigan Wolverines wide receivers have not had the impact most expected coming into the 2024 season due in large part to some instability at quarterback and lack of pass protection, but there are still traits missing from the group that could have helped the cause.
Michigan wants to be a little bigger at wide receiver from a length and athleticism perspective. As it currently stands, its two leading receivers Semaj Morgan (5-10) and Tyler Morris (5-11) both come in under 6 feet tall. U-M has given opportunities to guys like Peyton O’Leary (6-3), Kendrick Bell (6-2) and Amorion Walker (6-4) this season, but they know they need to get a little more productive in that aspect.
Freshman safety Mason Curtis revealed this week that he was another guy who got a look at wideout due to his size as Michigan looked to maximize its opportunity to add size to the room.
“It was one of those things where we wanted to get bigger at the receiver position,” position coach Ron Bellamy said on Wednesday. “Everyone knows that. We want to get a little bigger, more length at the position. We talked about recruiting a minute ago and I got a chance to watch Mason, although I wasn’t a primary recruiter of Mason, I got a chance to watch his film and saw it and was like, ‘Hey, what is this kid What position does he play?’
“Very talented in high school. Sometimes coaches play guys out of position to do what’s best for the team. But I saw like eight interceptions and I saw elite ball skills. And the first thing I saw was a 6-4 athlete that could catch the football. And I remember going to Coach Moore and asked if we could check this out because we had tapped in a portal and brought a couple of older safeties in and nonetheless, we tried it, but Mason’s heart was on defense.
Bellamy’s desire to get bigger at the position stems from some of the guys he played with during his Michigan career. He has photos of some of his former wide receiver mates in his office in Schembechler Hall, and it serves as a reminder of what he would like to add.
“In my era of Michigan football, it was David Terrell, Marquise Walker, Braylon Edwards, Jason Avant, Steve Breaston. So those are the guys that are on my wall,” he said. “They’re all big receivers. Not to say, your whole room has to be big receivers. But, you have more room for error with bigger receivers. I grew up in the era of Michigan football, where that’s the case. That’s something where if you guys follow recruiting, where we’re going to attack.
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“I think you’ve got to have you know, different we’ve got a plethora of options size-wise but getting bigger is something that we really want to focus on.”
Bellamy’s comments point directly to a 2025 recruiting class that sees a trio of commitments standing at 6-foot or higher in Andrew Marsh (6-0), Jacob Washington (6-3) and Jamar Browder (6-4). The emphasis is playing itself out on the trail, but how does Michigan sell the opportunity with what the passing offense has showed this year?
Bellamy says it starts with the players themselves and being empowered to change it.
“I think a lot of kids hold themselves in high regard of their talents,” Bellamy said. “We’ve always been able to recruit at a high level as far as getting the kids here. And maybe kids pick a different institution, whatever that may be, but they do see themselves here. They do see themselves being the reason why things do change.
“At the end of the day, this is a great program. This is Michigan and kids do visualize themselves here and want to be part of that change. It’s an easy sell as far as showing them what they can do here.”
