TROY, Mich. — Michigan football fans had become familiar with freshman wide receiver Semaj Morgan over the course of the season, starting with his electric 18-yard touchdown against Rutgers, his first career score at the college level. But fans across college football came to know the former West Bloomfield (Mich.) standout in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Morgan hadn’t returned punts all year, with Tyler Morris and Jake Thaw each getting their turns throughout the season. But Jim Harbaugh made a gambit in the championship game, inserting the first-year player deep, and it paid off. Morgan nearly housed the punt, taking it 84 yards, just shy of the end zone.
In the aftermath, Morgan has found himself going from an obscure fan favorite to a full-on celebrity overnight, with everyone wanting to know about that one play.
“It’s intense, a lot of face-to-face people, people asking me about it, a lot of things like that,” Morgan said. “It was a pretty good play though! Pretty good play, pretty good play. I wish I would’ve scored, for sure — you know, made it easier for Blake! Made it easier for our offense!
“So I liked it, helped my team out, best way. Contribute! And that’s the best part — being able to contribute as a young guy!”
The reason that Morgan didn’t score was Iowa safety Koen Entringer, who went to Walled Lake (Mich.) Western before ending up in Iowa City. Entringer whiffed on the initial tackle of Morgan but got back up and hustled to make the touchdown-saving play.
Morgan is well familiar with Entringer’s game, and while he wasn’t surprised that he made the play in the aftermath, he was shocked he was run down in the moment.
“I played with Koen at SoundMind SoundBody,” Morgan said. “I was like, ‘Whoa!’ He really was always there, though. You look at the film, I’m still making cuts, he’s still running!”
It’s not just the play that’s made Morgan an instant sensation.
Known for being outspoken in his early Michigan tenure, the freshman was thrust into the national spotlight in the aftermath of the Big Ten Championship Game when head coach Jim Harbaugh did his usual bait-and-switch with the sideline reporter in the postgame interview. Morgan’s eccentricity didn’t quite catch Jenny Taft off-guard, but his interview did fully cement his newfound status as a fan favorite in a video that went viral after the game.
"My first time doing it in a game I was like 'Bruh, I gotta go crazy', but I kinda lost a little gas out there." 😂@JennyTaft talks with @UMichFootball's Semaj Morgan after a memorable punt return in the Big Ten Championship ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Mo0vxf0wdf
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 3, 2023
On Saturday, WolverinesWire asked Morgan about that moment and while it wasn’t his first time doing a live postgame interview, it was easily his biggest moment in the spotlight.
“I’d say probably my third or second time — but that was way bigger though! That was way bigger than high school!” Morgan said. “I was prepared but I didn’t know he was going to bring me up there. But I was prepared. I know I can talk, know what I’m saying? Questions (were) easy, so I just answered them and then kept it moving!”