Wolverines audition Morgan at punt returner
Michigan is trying several players at punt returner during spring practice, including receivers Semaj Morgan and Fredrick Moore and defensive backs Will Johnson and Zeke Berry.
Morgan said he knows one thing about any of those options.
“Whoever is back there is gonna be dangerous for anybody,” the West Bloomfield High School graduate told reporters recently before smiling and issuing a warning to opponents. “So don’t kick it to us.”
Special teams coordinator J.B. Brown has been working with the group during spring practice ahead of a public spring game on Saturday at Michigan Stadium. Morgan returned a punt for the first time against Iowa in the Big Ten championship and had an 87-yard return. He also muffed a return in the Rose Bowl national semifinal.
“Coach J.B. has been telling me, ‘Look, man, you are a great athlete. Just get back and just catch the ball,’” Morgan said. “He doesn’t make it too hard. He doesn’t over coach it for me. He’s just telling me like, ‘Look, man, you’re an athlete. I believe in you. I want to put you back there. If you’re back there, catch the ball.’
“I feel like a challenge for me would have been overthinking and the sun. I was serious. The sun, it’d be bright. I think that would be the challenge.”
Last season as a freshman, Morgan caught 22 passes for 204 yards and scored two touchdowns. He also ran for two scores. But with the departures of receivers Roman Wilson and
Cornelius Johnson, Morgan is expected to take on a much bigger role this fall.
“To be honest with you, I’m very young, but yeah, I do kind of feel like a veteran because I did play last year,” Morgan said. “I played a lot of minutes last year, and a lot of coaches, a lot of my teammates look at me as a leader. This year, I’m really focusing on trying to step up and become a type of leader by example because that’s something that I took from (two-time captain) Mike Sainristil, leading by example. I feel like that’s just very important to do.”
What Morgan learned from Sainristil is to earn respect from teammates so that you can lead.
“If you were ever not locked in, he would get on you, but he was always doing what he was supposed to do,” Morgan said. “People would see it, and they would follow it.”
Morgan and Tyler Morris will be the leaders of the receiver room with Moore also expected to take that next step as a major contributor.
“We’re all young,” Morgan said. “This spring, we all are just coming into our own. We all go deep, we all go short, we all run screens. By the time the season comes, I think we’ll really know. Right now, we are still developing into our own.”
Morgan said the receivers have been working hard in practice and have spent considerable time looking at plays and film.
“I feel like our whole receiver room is stepping up because all of us are young,” he said. “So everybody is going to have to step up because we had two older guys in front of his last year, C.J. and Roman. So I feel like the whole room was stepping up and I feel like we’re gonna be real good this season.”
Moore also will be a sophomore this fall, and Morgan said he’s similar in style to former Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy, now with the Cleveland Browns.
“He’s a great route-runner,” Morgan said of Moore. “He’s gonna catch the ball. Also, great at tracking, too. Fred is the real deal, and I feel like it’s gonna be a great year for him.”
The deeper work for the season will take place in preseason camp, but Morgan is looking forward to a bigger presence in the return game. He hasn’t spent much time, however, looking back at the electric return against Iowa.
“I didn’t even score. And it’s old news,” Morgan said. “I’m trying to move forward. I’m trying to do something crazier next year so y’all remember it for 100 more years.”