Tyler Morris is no stranger to being slightly overlooked.
When compared to others in the wide receivers room like senior Roman Wilson — who has caught five touchdowns in two games — and graduate Cornelius Johnson, the sophomore garners less name recognition. And even when he is walking around campus with his high school teammate J.J. McCarthy, who he has known since he was 14, Morris notices more than a slight disparity in the attention that each of them receives.
“Just going out in public sometimes, standing behind him and seeing people stare at him and be amazed to see him,” Morris said Tuesday. “ … To me it’s funny, everyone seeing him as more of a celebrity, me just seeing him as a friend.”
While Morris may fly more under the radar on campus than some of his teammates, Michigan’s presumed WR3 made a name for himself within the program during the offseason.
“Tyler’s a smart football player,” wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy said Aug. 30. “He’s strong, he has an aggressive mentality. He’s a route technician. … To me, Tyler has ascended to be a great receiver.”
And following the preseason hype, Morris has just begun to make a name for himself on the field through the first two games by showcasing the technical skills that Bellamy spoke of.
Last Saturday against UNLV, Morris debuted as the Wolverines’ WR3 and reeled in three catches — all on third down — for 40 yards. While Johnson and Wilson made flashy catches and Wilson hauled in touchdown after touchdown, Morris kept those drives alive. In fact, all three of his receptions sustained drives that resulted in touchdowns.
His precision, and ability to make catches under pressure, contributed to a 21-point scoreboard flip. And that was not lost on McCarthy.
“I expected that of him,” McCarthy said of Morris’ performance against UNLV postgame. “I was just waiting for the opportunity that he was going to have to capitalize on. … It brought back some old times, so it was great.”
Now in his second season, Morris switched his number from 13 to eight following the departure of former Michigan wide receiver Ronnie Bell, who previously wore the number. But for many in the program, the similarities between Bell and Morris go deeper than just sharing a number.
Morris’ precision in route running, his technicality and his “dog mentality” as graduate cornerback Mike Sainristil put it — are all reminiscent of Bell.
“I feel like him being an eight, it’s almost as if I’m going up against Ronnie everyday in practice again,” Sainristil said.
In his sophomore year, Bell became a starter and broke out to the tune of a 758 yard season. And while Morris may share characteristics, and even the number of Bell, it’s still unlikely that he’ll have as large of an impact just yet. But what Morris showed against UNLV is that he’s ready to be a reliable option for McCarthy. The two already have a strong relationship from their time in high school when they combined for over 1200 yards and 17 touchdowns. Now, Morris is looking to rekindle that connection.
With Johnson and Wilson already in the depth chart, the Wolverines don’t need someone flashy — but they do need a dependable, precise receiver who can keep drives moving. Morris has thrust himself into that role, and is looking to build on it.
And next year, both Johnson and Wilson may be gone, meaning Morris might again have the opportunity to step into an even larger role.
So when asked if watching McCarthy getting flooded with attention ever bothered him, Morris said it wasn’t a concern.
“I’m fine with it,” Morris said. “He’s done his work, he’s contributed, he’s done what he needed to do to get there, so it’s good to see that it’s paying off for him.”
Now, Morris is doing the work he needs to do to make a name for himself in Michigan’s program, on the field and even in public.