Tag: Roman Wilson

Michigan’s wide receiver depth should scare its opponents

Michigan football had nine different people catch a pass in the win over No. 21 Minnesota, that type of depth should scare its opponents.

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Despite not having wide receiver Nico Collins return to the Michigan football team, the Wolverines have plenty of depth at the position. Michigan has its leading receiver last year in Ronnie Bell back once again, but he isn’t alone in the department. Sophomores Giles Jackson, Mike Sainristil, and Cornelius Johnson are expected to step up, and freshman A.J. Henning and Roman Wilson will see plenty of playing time with the free year of eligibility.

Tonight, we saw a vast amount of those wide receivers get playing time, and Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis is making it harder for his opponents to choose who they want to focus on. Nine different people caught passes from quarterback Joe Milton in Michigan’s 49-24 win over Minnesota. Five of them were wide receivers, as Bell lead the group with four catches for 74 yards. Sainristil and Jackson each had a catch, Sainristil, for 11 yards while Jackson had five. The other two were the freshmen duo as Wilson had two catches for 34 yards, and Henning had one for 14.

Despite Bell being the leading receiver, it didn’t seem like he was the Wolverines’ top target. Milton wasn’t looking for Bell every time; he looked for the open receiver no matter who it was. Michigan might not have a clear-cut number one wide receiver this year, as Milton spread the ball out to the wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs who caught the passes.

Michigan having this amount of depth at the wide receiver position, should scare its opponents. It doesn’t matter who they put on the field; it will be a tough matchup every time. Along with the wide receivers, the defense needs to hold the tight ends and running backs accountable as possibly being the receiver.

Milton knows he has playmakers at his disposal, and he wants to get them the football. “It feels great for me because I don’t have to do too much,” Milton said. “I got a lot of playmakers. Get those guys the ball because that’s what they’re here for. They’re going to make a play.”

Tonight, Johnson was left out of the catching rotation, but that doesn’t mean he won’t contribute next week. The way this offense seems like, every week a different receiver could step up and be the main target for Milton. Next week Johnson could have the big game for the Wolverines while Bell could be quiet. This week Bell seemed to be the top guy, but Jackson had some chances for big plays too, but they didn’t execute them.

When it comes to the young freshman wide receivers, Milton was happy with what he saw from them. “They always wanna get better in practice,” Milton said. “They always wanna know more, offensively, of a scheme, what’s going on, so having those guys in the game tonight was very impressive because they understand what was going on. They weren’t scared.”

Michigan’s offense seemed to have used their speed in space mantra with Wilson, Henning, Jackson, running backs Chris Evans, and Blake Corum. Those fast receivers will see more time as the season progresses, but if they were able to put up 49 points in the opening week, on the road against a ranked team (that went 11-2 last season, mind you), this offense could finally be what it was supposed to be last season.

With more depth at the receiver position, they could keep rotating guys in and out and never stop putting up points. Speed in space could have arrived in Ann Arbor, and with the multitude of receivers at Milton’s disposal, good luck trying to cover them all. If Michigan’s offense can be as good as their defense, this team could be an exceptional group.

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Jim Harbaugh breaks down WR corps, Nico Collins’ status with team

In his weekly press conference, Michigan football’s Jim Harbaugh shared who will be the WR at Minnesota and updated Nico Collins’ status.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — With Michigan set to open the 2020 season at Minnesota on Saturday night, one of the biggest curiosities is what the offense will look like.

Yes, there’s a lot of enthusiasm surrounding Wolverines third-year quarterback Joe Milton and all of the tangibles he brings to the table, but who will be out there catching the ball? Michigan has no shortage of capable receivers, even though the unit has been somewhat depleted from a year ago. While the trio of Nico Collins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Tarik Black had been tantalizing in terms of their talent for years, with them now gone, they pass the torch to multiple, speedier options that provide a different type of capability of stretching the field.

Jim Harbaugh broke down the unit on Monday in his weekly press conference, sharing why he’s encouraged by the group and who will be making the trip to Minneapolis this week for game one.

“Receiver-wise, the receivers have been really good,” Harbaugh said. “And a lot of them, a lot of good receivers. One of the really good things about our offense’s growth has been the receiving group. Their ability to get separation, to gain separation, to increase separation and to make contested catches.

“And a lot of guys – Ronnie Bell, Mike Sainristil, Roman Wilson, Giles Jackson, Cornelius Johnson doing extremely well. Jake McCurry, A.J. Henning, Nate Schoenle – those are the receivers we’re going into the ball game with. Feel really good about all of them.”

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While the only player above that has starting experience is Ronnie Bell, the maize and blue are particularly excited about the prospects of Giles Jackson and the two true freshmen in A.J. Henning and Roman Wilson.

But Harbaugh’s omission of Nico Collins from that group is particularly glaring.

Collins announced shortly after the VRBO Citrus Bowl against Alabama that he would be returning for his senior year, but he quietly signed with an agent and left the team when there was uncertainty in the late-summer about whether or not the Big Ten would have a season at all.

Since, he’s made no announcement as to his intentions — like Jalen Mayfield had before he opted back in, as Ambry Thomas did about his departure and Kwity Paye alluded to about returning. Meanwhile teammates have contended that he’s ‘still unsure,’ leaving some to be optimistic that he could be a part of the team.

While Harbaugh threw some cold water on the idea that Collins could suit up sometime in the coming weeks, he didn’t altogether close the door on his potential return down the road.

“Nico is not participating in football right now,” Harbaugh said. “And I don’t have a crystal ball if his mind would change or not, but he’s not currently on the team.”

Collins’ participation in classes at this juncture are unknown, but it appears unlikely that he’s still enrolled in the university. If that’s the case, he’s likely played his final down for the Wolverines this past January.

Michigan will take its receiving corps to Minneapolis to take on Minnesota on Saturday night, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The game will be nationally broadcast on ABC.

With talented wideout group, Jim Harbaugh ‘ready to let it rip on offense’

What head coach Jim Harbaugh sees out his wideouts with less than two weeks before Michigan vs. Minnesota football in 2020.

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On Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. EDT, we’ll finally get a glimpse of what ‘speed in space’ could look like when Michigan takes the field for the first time in the 2020 Big Ten season.

While the Wolverines had a talented group of wideouts last year in Donovan Peoples-Jones, Nico Collins and Tarik Black, but all three are gone now, and the maize and blue must now rely on a lot of underclassmen to fill the void. However, those stepping into more prominent roles embody offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ ‘speed in space’ philosophy, as Michigan gets away from the prototypical, tall, lanky outside receiver in favor of shorter, speedier athletes.

Speaking with Jon Jansen on the Learfield IMG ‘Inside Michigan Football’ radio program, head coach Jim Harbaugh broke down the offense, with the onus of his breakdown focusing on the wide receivers with the season less than two weeks away.

“It’s really been a group effort,” Harbaugh said. “I’d say Ronnie Bell, for sure. He’s a great tone-setter. Mike Sainristil has had a tremendous, tremendous offseason and early camp, practicing really well. Roman Wilson is doing exceptionally well. Giles Jackson, doing extremely well. Jake McCurry doing extremely well. Cornelius Johnson is really coming on strong.

“I don’t know if it’s one guy. I’d even say A.J. Henning did some really good things in our scrimmage on Saturday. Nate Schoenle has been a tone setter, the leader, doing really good things in the wide receiver position and on special teams.

“Right now, that group of eight has really been good. Erick All really sets the tone offensively. Doing a tremendous job. The quarterbacks been really good. Offensive line is coming together as well. And the other group we’re really excited about right now is the running backs. Charbonnet, Chris Evans, Hassan Haskins, Blake Corum. Really, those four have been outstanding, outstanding, outstanding.

“Ready to let it rip on offense.”

The leader of the wideouts now is junior Ronnie Bell, a former three-star who came in unheralded from Missouri. But unheralded he is no more, after leading the team in both receptions and yards in 2019 — despite the aforementioned talented trio still being on campus.

Harbaugh sees a lot of leadership in Bell, but he’s excited about his continued growth. He notices his work ethic along with learning the small details that should give him a leg up to have a repeat performance — or better — in 2020.

“They’re high expectations for Ronnie Bell,” Harbaugh said. “Always been a huge fan of Ronnie. He’s a real gamer when it comes to football. Things he needs to try to improve — every day he’s becoming a great practice player, as well. So much is natural, but really getting better at every fundamental and every technique. He’s always out there, every practice every game. Tremendous amount of want to and competitiveness that he has to be good. Just really getting all the finer points of the position and improving in that way technically. I think he’s gonna see a really big jump in his game this year. Because it’s almost — terrific athlete, great competitor and really getting the finer points of receiving Josh has been teaching him is gonna really benefit him this year, I can see it every day in practice.”

Photo: Isaiah Hole

While Bell is a known commodity at this juncture, he won’t be alone out there. And there are no receivers that fans are more excited about than the talented trio of second-year players.

The good news is: Harbaugh is equally excited to see what they do when they take the field at Minnesota, as well.

“The three sophomores — Mike Sainristil, Giles Jackson, Cornelius Johnson — all really good and are playing,” Harbaugh said. “And the two freshmen – Roman Wilson and A.J. Henning — are also right there in the mix. Mike’s really improved. His blocking – maybe our best blocker on the team. He’s also got the — last year – Mike can really go, he’s really fast. You see the fresh legs and the separation. Giles has that and then some probably.

“Both making tough catches, contested catches, which is great to see. All three of those players will contribute.”

But if you want to talk about pure speed, then Michigan has a duo that has that in spades.

College football has become something of a youth movement in recent years, and Michigan’s two freshman receivers are both known as burners on the football field. Roman Wilson — from Hawaii — runs a sub-4.4 40-yard dash, whereas A.J. Henning runs a 4.46.

Generally speaking, you don’t rely on freshmen to be your playmakers out of the gates, but with their talent and ability — and fact that they’ve had an extended period of time to acclimate themselves to the game — Harbaugh is excited to see what they cook up when Michigan takes the field at TCF Bank Stadium.

“Getting open, blocking and catching the ball. I’d say with both Roman and A.J., they’ve shown that ability,” Harbaugh said. “The quarterback trust that they’re gonna get open and get separation. And when the quarterback is throwing the ball, they are really good and natural catchers. And contested catches, too. They’ve developed that trust with the quarterbacks. They know they’re gonna compete for the contested ball, and they have the talent to catch the football.

“You do it on the field, of course – that’s the typical answer to the question. But it’s how they’re doing it. They’re getting open and making tough, contested catches.”

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Why ‘speed in space’ will truly be on display for Michigan in 2020

Michigan football wide receiver Mike Sainristil shares who’s the fastest and how the unit is adapting without its taller players.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — When Josh Gattis was hired as Michigan’s new offensive coordinator in early 2019, he debuted the term ‘speed in space’ which elicited a lot of excitement among the fanbase. But once the season hit, there were some who were disappointed in what they were seeing.

So many anticipated seeing receivers schemed open and running wild, and while that actually did happen quite frequently, the offense wasn’t nearly as potent nor explosive as the hype suggested it could be.

But, it was there. Look no further than Ronnie Bell, who led all Big Ten receivers in yards after catch with 9.9 yards (minimum 50 targets). That put him ahead of JD Spielman, Whop Philyor and K.J. Hamler. Nico Collins was No. 8 in that metric, and minimum targets aside, Giles Jackson was No. 18, Mike Sainristil was No. 27 — just behind star Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman — and Donovan Peoples-Jones was No. 37 (tenth, if adjusted for 50 minimum targets).

Now Michigan has the opportunity to be more potent in Gattis’ second year. It loses Donovan Peoples-Jones, Tarik Black and likely Nico Collins, but it adds speedsters such as A.J. Henning and Roman Wilson into the fold. Jackson and Sainristil enter their second season as well, which should spell not only more playing time, but more expertise with both the playbook as well as on the field.

On Thursday, Sainristil shared who’s the fastest in the group and noted that a true freshman has been contending with the veterans.

“Honestly, if you line up our receiver corps, you go: me, Ronnie, Giles, A.J., Roman, C.J., Schoenle, McCurry, Jake Thaw, Rolapp, — Matt Harrison, Torey – the top five for sure is me, Roman, A.J., Giles, I’ll put Ronnie in there,” Sainristil said. “But I think Roman will come out with it. That guy flies for sure. He just flies.”

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That’s excellent news in terms of options. As they say, you can’t cover them all.

Sainristil intimates that it will be something of a matchup nightmare given all of the speedy options that the Wolverines have. And given the depth at the position, they can throw them at defenders in waves, ultimately creating something of an advantage as defensive backs get tired out.

“I just think it creates a better rotation, because now you can run a deep route – you can go from having two guys run the deep route and then sub another one of us in and then just give us the ball in space,” Sainristil said. “We’ll just be going up against a DB that was in that was covering two different guys for two deep routes. Now he’s tired and we have fresh legs and keep cycling. I think that really helps us out a lot.”

But what Michigan now lacks is size. With Collins wavering on a return, the Wolverines have but six likely contributors at 6-feet or higher: Nate Schoenle, Jake McCurry, Ronnie Bell, A.J. Henning and Cornelius Johnson — with the latter being the tallest at 6-foot-3.

So who will be the deep threat? How will Michigan adapt?

Sainristil says it will come down to more to technique than it will size advantage, as the maize and blue receivers work to create separation from defensive backs in other ways.

“Honestly it could be any of us,” Sainristil said. “We’re doing a great job right now learning how to create separation with routes. That separation comes from small details, small techniques that Coach Gattis works on – like leaning a guy at the top of your route, creating shoulder separation, nudging off a guy. One term he uses is called ‘punching the package’ – it’s a small detail. Sometimes it’s very small that it could go unnoticed, but if you know what you’re doing and you’re doing it the right way, it’ll really help.

“Yeah, it would be great to have the size back, but when you have a lot of people that are fundamentally sound and work on their technique, details – it equals out.”

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Ronnie Bell, others set to take on increased roles with Michigan WR departures

Where the Michigan football wide receivers stand if Nico Collins returns or remains opted out.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — As the leader in the clubhouse with the most returning production for Michigan football at the wide receiver position, much is expected of Ronnie Bell as he enters his junior season. However, he gets somewhat overshadowed to some degree by Nico Collins.

Collins had announced in early January that he would be returning for his senior season, but made an unexpected departure from the program this offseason as the Big Ten waffled on whether or not it would have a 2020 fall season. Collins didn’t make any announcement about opting out, having quietly signed with an agent.

Now, Michigan is looking to get him back in the fold, but the question of whether or not he’ll return remains unanswered. However, to ask Bell, he’s doing the best he can to make peace with Collins’ decision if he remains opted out.

“I’ve talked with Nico,” Bell said. “Not much about what he’s got going – he’s doing what he’s doing for his journey and whatnot. I’m happy for him, of course. I’m never gonna second-guess him with whatever he’s got going on. I’m all 10 toes with whatever he’s got.

“Our room with him, of course, would be better. He’s one of the best receivers – personally, I’ve ever been around, one of the best receivers. Of course not having him, I’m kinda bummed. But, you know – our room is still very good, though. I’m not discouraged or anything like that about going out there without No. 4. Of course having Nico, it would be huge. He’s a very, very talented receiver.”

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It’s not just that Collins is potentially gone, but so are Donovan Peoples-Jones — who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth-round — and Tarik Black — who transferred to Texas this offseason.

With those players no longer on the roster, Bell knows he’ll likely have to take on an increased role in the offense, even with the emergence of Michigan’s second-year receivers in Giles Jackson, Mike Sainristil and Cornelius Johnson. Personally, Bell has worked specifically on decreasing drops — he dropped eight balls in 2019 according to PFF — while increasing his speed overall.

As the Big Ten’s leader in yards after catch, Bell could be particularly electric if he diversifies his game outside of the slot.

“I definitely think this year I’ll move around more than I did last year. I (respect) all those guys’ steps as well,” Bell said. “Those guys are all great guys as well. I’m just ready for whatever Coach needs me to be, whatever I need to be. That’s just the role I’m gonna attack. Whether that’s slot, outside, both or whatever he wants. That’s how I’m gonna prepare and that’s how I’ve always prepared.”

Additionally, now Bell is the wily veteran — which shows how much time flies. It seemed like days ago when he was reeling in his first career touchdown against Nebraska in Week Four of the 2018 season.

Now he’s the elder voice in the room, and he’s looking to impart wisdom upon the younger generation.

“In the last year or so, I guess I realized it more, especially with all those guys gone now,” Bell said. “I’m low key kinda old. All the younger guys, every day in practice, I just want to show them the effort it takes, whether you get the ball or not, when you’re out there blocking on the edge – I just want to show the guys the intensity you have to play with. Especially with the tall guys leaving. We’re not as tall anymore! So we’ve definitely gotta be more feisty than what we were.”

So who’s been impressing Bell thus far in fall camp? Two have stood out to him and they’re both from the 2019 class.

“I’ve been most impressed with everybody,” Bell said. “Everybody – like I said before, mentally, everybody has just grown and you can see they’ve grown so much. Just mentally in the playbook and being to play everywhere.

“For guys to be able to make a jump, definitely C.J. – Cornelius Johnson and Mikey Sainristil – both of those guys have been just dominant this offseason and this little preseason we’ve been taking care of.”

Given that much of the offseason hype has surrounded Giles Jackson, it’s a positive to hear both Sainristil and Johnson mentioned, as both will need to be key pieces in the offense moving forward.

Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis exclaimed that they’ll certainly be featured in 2020, but what’s allowed them to make that jump from year one to year two?

Maturity is playing a big part in their emergence, Bell says.

“I think the biggest thing for those guys is mentally – knowing everything about the playbook and they know the work we put in, not necessarily together, but on your own in the offseason,” Bell said. “Especially mentally, those guys have turned it up quite a bit to take on bigger roles and be able to play every position on the field. I feel like their freshman year, all of them were focused in on one thing, and from their freshman year to right now, you can tell mentally they’re very sharp and dissect the whole offense.”

But they’re not the only ones that could make a big impact in 2020.

Michigan brought in two veritable speedsters this year in A.J. Henning and Roman Wilson, first-year players that should get even more of an opportunity due to the late start.

When it comes to their speed, Bell says it’s obvious.

“You definitely can see it, coming off the ball and whatnot,” Bell said. “You notice when a guy is really fast just how they explode off the ball and they’ve got whatever route they have going on – their first 3-4 steps. You can just see the speed in those guys.”

We’ll see all of the above in action in exactly one month when Michigan heads to Minnesota for the Oct. 24 season opener.

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Michigan freshman WRs ‘as good as advertised,’ Giles Jackson says

Michigan football sophomore Giles Jackson is excited to see what A.J. Henning and Roman Wilson do once games start.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — When it comes to the wide receiver position, Michigan lost a lot this offseason.

Donovan Peoples-Jones went pro, selected in the sixth-round by the Cleveland Browns. Tarik Black transferred to Texas, where he’s become a starter. More recently, Nico Collins quietly opted out, having signed with agent Drew Rosenhaus. That leaves Michigan with one starter from last year in Ronnie Bell — who did lead the team in both receptions and yards.

Though that means that second-year players such as Giles Jackson, Mike Sainristil and Cornelius Johnson will have to step up, Jackson indicates that the newcomers could certainly help things along.

Michigan reeled in two four-stars at the wide receiver position in the 2020 recruiting class in Franklin (IL) Lincoln-Way East’s A.J. Henning and Honolulu (HI) St. Louis’ Roman Wilson. The former is known as a versatile player, perfectly suited to Josh Gattis’ offense. While Henning is fast — running a reported 4.46 40 — the latter, in Wilson, is an elite-level speedster, running a reported 4.37 40-yard dash in high school.

But, there’s a big difference between high school ball and college.

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Both players caught 800-plus yards in their final season before arriving in Ann Arbor, and the thought was they’ll need some time to get acclimated before they can be impact players. But, when that time comes, Jackson says, opposing defensive backs out to look out.

“They’re as good as advertised,” Jackson said. “A.J. – they call him ‘hot wheels.’ He just moves all at one speed. But he’s real exciting to watch, he’s fun to watch.

“And Roman – Roman, he’s fast. He’s super fast. He looks like he’s just jogging and he just separates from people. So it’s fun to watch both of them. They’re gonna be real good for us.”

That said, who does Jackson think the fastest wideout on the team is?

“I’d still say it’s me,” he laughed.

If Jackson can run as fast — or faster — than Wilson then that’s blazing, to be sure. Regardless, get all of them on the field together, and it’ll be awfully tough for defenses to cover them all.

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In new year, Michigan loaded with options in return game

Special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh gave a long list of contenders for both positions, while noting one particular thing won’t change.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There are two positions that seem to constantly be in flux in Ann Arbor, and that’s at both kick and punt return.

Some years, you have obvious choices — like Jabrill Peppers, who handled the bulk of both in 2015-16 — but in others, one player may get the call one year but not the next.

Such was the case last year, with 2018 starting kick returner Ambry Thomas out for much of the offseason with a bout of colitis. Though he got the start right out of the gates at cornerback, given that he didn’t practice much and that it was an uphill battle just to get him on the field, he ceded his role to true freshman Giles Jackson.

The starting punt returner the past three years was Donovan Peoples-Jones, but he departed with a year of eligibility remaining on the table, getting drafted in the sixth-round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.

While he’s been one of two coaches working on special teams since 2016, Jay Harbaugh is now the bona fide special teams coordinator with Chris Partridge’s departure on Jan. 2 to Ole Miss. When he looks at the kick return situation, he doesn’t feel the need for change personnel-wise, considering what Jackson brought to the table last year. But, he certainly won’t be the only one back deep, Harbaugh explains, noting the need to have other capable returners to help Jackson’s job become easier, while giving different looks to the opposing team’s kickoff unit.

“It’s a really strong group,” Harbaugh said. “I would say overall, it might be the best that we’ve had just in terms of depth in terms of guys we feel like, ‘Hey, this guy could be an option.’ In the past, we kind of had older guys where we took it off their plate or guys were really young and inexperienced. So we have a nice balance now.

“For kickoff returns, we love Giles back there. I think everybody does. Crazy fast, super talented. And he even left some yards out there last year that I think this year he’s gonna be able to take advantage of. Just be able to continue to improve the way that he understands our system, seeing the blocking scheme develop. So expecting a huge year from him.

“And he’s got a great group of guys that are gonna be able to compete with him, make him better and be back there with him. Those guys are Ronnie Bell – he’s done it before – Mike Sainristil, Blake Corum, Andre Seldon, Mike Barrett’s been back there and does a great job as an off-returner, does a tremendous job blocking. So it’s a really deep group. Daxton Hill has been back there, Chris Evans.

“So we feel great about the quality of guys back there, which is really necessary, because as soon as a returner becomes a really big play threat, that’s when you see, all of a sudden, that guy doesn’t get the ball so much anymore, so it’s important to have somebody else back there that’s a legit big play threat.”

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As noted, with Peoples-Jones’ departure, Michigan will be looking for a fresh face to take over punt return duties.

Harbaugh sees pretty much all of the same faces on kick return having a shot to also return punts, with the caveat that there are two incoming freshmen who certainly could make the battle more interesting when they arrive in Ann Arbor.

“In the punt return scheme, obviously not having Donovan will be a new thing for us, and luckily we were able to get some live reps with Ronnie in the past,” Harbaugh said. “Mike Sainristil in the past. That’s something Giles can do, too, which is exciting. Mike Barrett catches the ball extremely well. Blake Corum is punt returner. I don’t know if I mentioned Seldon. And that’s not even excluding the Roman Wilsons and the A.J. Hennings of the world that are still kinda, we’re not sure yet. But those guys are electric. I’m confident they’ll at least be able to compete and push those guys. And if they’re able to get to the point where they can catch it with confidence at some point in the year, those guys can be legit dudes as well.”

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Josh Gattis pegs one Michigan signee as incredibly underrated

Why the Wolverines offensive coordinator is through the roof about two true freshman wideouts in AJ Henning and Roman Wilson.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — While Michigan lost two wideouts from 2019 in new Cleveland Browns draftee Donovan Peoples-Jones and Texas Longhorns transfer Tarik Black, there’s still a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the wide receivers room. Especially if you’re Josh Gattis.

Gattis is the Wolverines offensive coordinator, but he also personally oversees the wideouts. Yes, there’s certainly reasons to be excited with Nico Collins and Ronnie Bell returning, as well as enigmatic second-year players such as Giles Jackson and Mike Sainristil. But they aren’t the only ones who will be making plays in the near future.

Michigan brought in three wideouts in the 2020 recruiting class with four-stars AJ Henning and Roman Wilson and three-star flex Eamonn Dennis — who could also play corner, as he comes in with a similar size and skillset as the aforementioned Sainristil.

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Looking specifically at the previous two, while Henning’s pedigree was well-known throughout his recruitment, it took a little bit longer for Wilson to gain national accolades. Hailing from Honolulu (HI) St. Louis, it wasn’t until about a year ago that he started turning heads. While 247Sports has him rated as the No. 217 player in the nation and 37th-best wide receiver in the class, Rivals was significantly less bullish, having him rated as a three-star and the 75th-best wideout in 2020.

However, looking at the duo, particularly Wilson, Gattis is enthusiastic that Michigan got something of a find there.

“The young receivers – yeah, real excited,” Gattis said. “Real excited. AJ and Roman – those guys playing with some speed. They bring a skill set that’s different. Roman’s a guy – I’m so excited about his athleticism. Had he been playing in the (contingent) states, I firmly believe he’d be one of the most talked about talked about players in the country. Same with AJ Henning, who is one of the most talked about players in the country coming in as a Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Illinois. Roman coming from Hawaii, had he been playing closer East – he’s a phenomenal player. Big time athlete, big time speed. We’re excited.”

Gattis would know a little something about talent at wide receiver.

Yes, he coached Peoples-Jones who was a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but several others who were formerly under his tutelage went much, much higher.

Having spent a year at Alabama as the wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator, Gattis worked with two first-round picks in Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy, as well as having worked with second-round pick KJ Hamler from his time at Penn State. Considering how much he raves about Wilson’s potential — as well as Henning’s — that bodes well for his vision of a ‘speed in space’ offense.

But how soon can those two contribute?

Last year, Michigan played three true freshmen at wideout — Sainristil, Jackson and fellow first-year player Cornelius Johnson. This year, expect something similar, especially given the limited numbers of wide receivers currently on scholarship in Ann Arbor.

“We’re gonna throw those guys in the mix,” Gattis said. “Obviously, we don’t have a ton of depth at receiver. Last year we had played two freshmen at receiver in significant roles. I think we’ll start this year out with seven scholarship wideouts, which is very low under the number of receivers we want to be at. But we’ll make it work. We’ll make it work. That is what it is. We’ve got the talent there, we’ve got all the different pieces. Most importantly, we’ve got the room.

“Those guys are great with each other. Being led by Ronnie Bell and Nico Collins. I couldn’t be more excited about the wide receiver room right now.”

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Michigan’s coordinators share what they like about 2020 class

What the Wolverines coordinators like about their incoming players.

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Now that the bulk of the 2020 class has signed, the coaching staff can finally talk openly about what they like about who they’ve been recruiting all this time.

Michigan didn’t bring in its top-rated class by any stretch, but it’s a class full of ‘go-getters’ as head coach Jim Harbaugh has said, in that it seems like they want to be great more than the average group.

That’s excellent hyperbole, of course, but what can you make of the specific players coming in?

While the Wolverines didn’t bring in a five-star this time around, there was still a ton high-end talent to be excited about if you’re a Michigan fan.

On the offensive side of the ball, the maize and blue brought in a few playmakers that have the look of immediate contributors, seemingly tailor-made for new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ ‘speed in space’ schematic attack. Speaking to Jon Jansen on the Inside Michigan Football radio show, Gattis shared which incoming signees really stand out in the 2020 class, and why some of the other position groups are particularly special.

“I think we had a really good skill class as far as when you talk about skill players, we’ve got a dynamic running back in Blake Corum,” Gattis said. “You look at some of our skill perimeter players: A.J. Henning, Roman Wilson, Eamonn Dennis – those guys have a chance with the ball in their hands to put fear into an opposing defense and defensive coordinator. Guys with great ball skills and can run routes. Blake is a guy that’s tough, is versatile, can run routes out of the backfield, can run the ball, can really hit it home, being a home run hitter.

“And also, you look at the tight end position and Matt Hibner. A guy that have versatility, can catch the ball, can block. Everything we need from that standpoint. And also reloading up front, getting some big guys. Big, tough, physical linemen that can really move people up front, but also have the versatility to play inside or outside, whether it’s center-guard or guard-tackle. We feel like we’ve got a really complete class that we were able to sign on offense.”

While this offensive class certainly has its share of playmakers, the 2020 class has the look of being more defensive-oriented.

13 of the 22 signees project to the defensive side of the ball, while there are a handful — like the aforementioned Dennis — who are projected to the offensive side, but could be equally suited for the defensive side.

Defensive coordinator Don Brown also spoke to Jansen about the incoming group, and he seemed particularly pleased with the men he’s bringing in up front along the defensive line when asked about which players stand out in the 2020 class.

“Very athletic. This is the most athletic group we’ve signed on defense and the biggest,” Brown said. “We’re really excited about it. You alluded to up front – Braiden McGregor was the first guy in the door on Wednesday in terms of getting his letter of intent in. He’s a Michigan guy. He’s a big guy. We’re expecting big things from him. Aaron Lewis, Kris Jenkins for sure. We’re fortunate enough to pick up Jaylen Harrell who’s a guy in the mold of a Josh Uche-type, who can really rush the passer, play middle linebacker, but he also has tremendous size. He’s 6-5, 240-pounds.

“Again, athletically, we really feel like we’ve signed four guys that can flat-out play up front, for sure.”

Michigan signee shows out on national TV

On Saturday, the Wolverines new receiver showed out on national TV against a Florida powerhouse.

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Michigan already knew it was getting something in four-star wide receiver Roman Wilson from Honolulu (HI) St. Louis.

The speedster who runs a clocked 4.37 40-yard dash signed with the Wolverines on Wednesday, but just because his recruitment is now fully over doesn’t mean that he’s done putting highlights on film. And he did so in front of a national audience.

In the High School Bowl Series, televised on ESPN, on Saturday night, Honolulu (HI) St. Louis took on powerhouse Ft. Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas. Down 7-0, St. Louis needed to get on the board, and the team’s quarterback winged it towards the end zone, where Wilson plucked the ball out of the air, despite being well covered.

But that’s not all.

Wilson further showed his athleticism in a tweet he personally shared. His quarterback looked down field, hesitated, went through his progressions and found the Michigan signee underneath. While the play didn’t go much further, some acrobatics got it a little bit further, as Wilson, with seeming ease, hurdled the St. Thomas Aquinas defender who came in to make the initial tackle.

If you’re looking to learn more on Wilson, check out our dossier, sharing everything you need to know about him.