Last year entering the 2022 college football season, on paper, Michigan football had one of the more impressive wide receiver groups. However, it was the running backs room that ended up impressing during the year.
Now, with Ronnie Bell gone to the NFL draft and Andrel Anthony having transferred to Oklahoma, the unit doesn’t look quite as good on paper, even if it is similar to what we saw in 2021.
That year, with Bell injured, it was Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson leading the charge in the aerial attack, and they’ll be counted on similarly in 2023. While Johnson has been a household name and steady (though streaky) in his career, Wilson has the potential to be an X-factor for the Wolverines.
A speedster from Hawaii, we’ve long called Wilson a ‘lite’ or ‘diet version’ of enigmatic receiver DeVonta Smith, the Alabama receiver who won the Heisman Trophy in 2020. The two have similar skill sets and body types, yet Wilson hasn’t yet really broken out.
This offseason, his position coach, Ron Bellamy, is challenging him to reach his full potential, now that he’ll be fully counted on entering his senior year. He shared more with Jon Jansen on the ‘In the Trenches’ podcast.
“To be the best, the most dynamic playmaker that he can be,” Bellamy said of his goals for Wilson. “For Roman, we talked about some of those things that, when you watch his skillset is — both guys (Wilson and Cornelius Johnson) have unbelievable skill sets. Just going back and watching this past season and making some cut-ups of the receivers and whatnot, and you can see some of the things that Cornelius — his movement skills are elite. Some of the things that he does. And you watch Roman and you say, ‘Man, this guy is (special.)'”
But what makes him so special?
While we made our own comparison (which isn’t something anyone on the Michigan staff is wont to do), Bellamy dug into the different facets of Wilson’s game that should showcase just how elite he could be if they all come to fruition in games.
“You watch his game and you can watch how it’s hard for guys to cover him,” Bellamy said. “He can beat you and he could catch a shallow route and go 80. He could catch a slant. He can run a post, he can go dig. He’s proven all that he can get an end-around.
“Roman has a complete skillset and he’s been able to utilize that. Roman is a big believer. Roman knows that he’s a special football player, but now just challenge him to be the most dynamic football player in America. That’s something that he’s chasing every day.”
Fans got a chance to see Wilson take advantage of his unique ability as the Wolverines worked to come back in the College Football Playoff semifinal against TCU. Now, he just needs to showcase his ability on a game-by-game basis.
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