ANN ARBOR, Michigan — If you pay close attention to what Michigan football posts on social media during the Spring Ball, you’ll notice a common face in many of the posts — and it’s not someone who made a huge contribution last season.
Tyler Morris, now wearing Ronnie Bell’s No. 8, is a sophomore with an opportunity to take his mantle, especially considering they share similar ability, height and athleticism. And the images that have made their way to social media from the show show that Morris is doing just that.
There are several recordings of Morris doing plays, usually a harbinger of future success. If you play in practice, you will probably be featured heavily in games. And as Morris enters his second season, there’s also a higher chance he’ll be in a heavy rotation.
On Thursday, he spoke about how spring is doing compared to last year, when he wasn’t able to fully participate as he was still recovering from the ACL injury he sustained in his senior year of high school.
“I have a feeling things are going well. Just a lot more comfortable for me,” said Morris. “Last year, freshman, you’re trying to figure everything out. You don’t know the offense, you don’t really know how to fully program works. I was still trying to get my knee back a little. This year I feel like I’m just more comfortable, used to things and know how things work. So it’s not too much trying to figure everything out so much.”
Morris says he finally regained full health in May last year after the spring ball peaked. It wasn’t until the fall that he really got into college football — first at camp, then in games.
Now that he’s in full swing and has time to look back, he says thoughts move much more slowly than before.
“I think how fast it goes. We play pieces, everything moves quickly, you have to think everything over,” said Morris. “There are several situations that you don’t think about in high school. There’s just – you kinda just play football. So just a lot more thinking and details flowing in now.”
Morris is certainly tasked with the usual wide receiver duties — opening, catching the ball, then working for yards after the catch — but he’s also embraced the other attributes of being a passcatcher in this system.
Given that Michigan has two of the best running backs in the nation, and both Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards are likely to field strong once they return healthy, Morris says he’s really been working on blocking. Because, as he notes, it’s an essential part of offense given how run heavy the Wolverines can be at times.
“I have no problem with suspensions. That’s just part of the game,” Morris said. “You can’t be a receiver and expect to just catch to get touchdowns and all that. Especially at our school we have a great back. So we’re going to run the ball and you need to be able to block. I just feel like it’s a mindset to be physical and not be afraid to hit someone.
Fans can see Morris’ progress in person on April 1 when the Wolverines host their annual spring game at The Big House.
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Story originally appeared on Wolverines Wire
