22 IN '22: Wolverines to Watch: #11 WR Andrel Anthony

Every Tuesday until the season begins MBR will be counting down the "22 in '22 Wolverines to Watch". These are the twenty-two players with the best chance to make an impact ranked by their potential impact.

THE LIST: #22 DB Will Johnson | #21 OL Zak Zinter | #20 DL Kris Jenkins | #19 DB/WR Mike Sainristil | #18 WR Darrius Clemons | #17 EDGE Jaylen Harrell | #16 WR AJ Henning | #15 DE Taylor Upshaw | #14 TE Erick All | #13 DB Rod Moore | #12 C Olu Oluwatimi | #11 WR Andrel Anthony

Andrel Anthony was an underrated recruit in the 2021 class. Ranked as only the 76th WR in the class, Anthony carried an impressive offer list that included Notre Dame, Penn State, Wisconsin, and of course his hometown Spartans. Notre Dame recruited Anthony to play defense, while Michigan State told him he was their top target at WR. A late visit to Ann Arbor saw predictions fly in for Anthony to spurn MSU and days later he chose to commit to the Wolverines.

I have been a broken record writing these because Anthony once again fits a mold Michigan has been targeting. An athlete who excelled on both sides of the ball and a multi-sport athlete, Anthony is quite the player on the basketball court. Anthony holds multiple receiving records at East Lansing High School. He was seen as a raw but natural athlete. He has plus ball skills, route-running ability, and a quick burst.

Anthony was the 4th rated WR in Michigan's 2021 class at the time of his commitment. Markus Allen decommitted and headed to Wisconsin. Late in the process, Xavier Worthy would leave Michigan and eventually head to Texas. Anthony was still ranked below fellow WR Cristian Dixon, and with a loaded group, Anthony was not expected to make much if any impact in his freshman season.

Anthony worked hard in camps and during practice to earn an opportunity to see the field in 2021. Anthony saw his first action on an end-around against Northwestern, but it was the following week Anthony would introduce himself to Wolverine fans.

With Ronnie Bell out for the season and Roman Wilson still nursing an injury, Anthony was given his first chance as a receiver against Michigan State in East Lansing, and needless to say, he took full advantage of that opportunity.

One of the question marks about Anthony during the recruiting process was his speed. He had clocked an unofficial 4.57 40 time, but he was identified as "quick but not fast". He proved a lot of doubters wrong with that 93-yard touchdown run after the catch.

Something no one questioned was Anthony's ball skills, something he got to show off in the game against MSU as well. Late in the second quarter while trailing, JJ McCarthy found Anthony in the end zone where he made a vertical grab reminiscent of another Michigan WR donning the #1 jersey, Braylon Edwards.

Anthony would finish the game with 6 catches for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns. With Wilson returning Anthony continued to be a part of the rotation but would notch only single reception in each of the remaining games. including the lone touchdown against Georgia, a 35-yard pass from JJ McCarthy.

Needless to say, Anthony has gone from a lower recruit in a loaded WR class to one of Michigan's better-receiving threats justifying his #1 jersey quickly. Anthony has put Cristian Dixon in his rear view and is now competing with Roman Wilson for the starting Z receiver spot.

Michigan is going to utilize rotations heavily with the depth it has at WR. Much like we saw last year, the Wolverines will look to utilize matchup advantages where a player who has been quiet can seemingly come out of nowhere to make a huge impact, see Anthony against MSU.

I have been giving Anthony the slight edge over Wilson so far this offseason because of his ball skills and ability to make plays other receivers simply can't. Cornelius Johnson and Ronnie Bell seem likely to be the consistent and reliable receivers in this group, "possession" receivers some might say. While Bell has shown the ability to make tough catches and turn small plays into big ones, Anthony has another level of athletic ability. With his height, length, and vertical, Anthony can give a quarterback a chance to turn a broken play into a successful one.

Who plays quarterback may determine what level of impact Anthony can have this season. His high-point touchdown grab against MSU was a perfect illustration of the difference between JJ McCarthy and Cade McNamara's skill sets.

On the play, McCarthy executes a play-action read and then shades out of the pocket. Luke Schoonmaker is moving from implied Lead to TE Flat. The safety in zone responds and bursts quickly towards him. This leaves Anthony in 1-on-1 coverage and he is already a step past his defender who was caught with his eyes in the backfield.

Schoonmaker is open for the drop-off and would create a minimum and 3rd and short opportunity. Anthony's job is to drag the corner deep and then block him, allowing Schoonmaker space to potentially gain extra yards. McCarthy is looking at Schoonmaker before he sees Anthony has the advantage and decides to throw. As Anthony turns around to set his block he sees the ball coming and makes a ridiculous leaping grab.

I'm making an assumption here, but I'm doing so based on what the data and my eyes tell me. Cade is more than likely taking the first read and dropping it off to Schoonmaker here. Is that the wrong play? Not necessarily, but with an offense loaded with playmakers, if I have to decide a player's potential impact, I have to decide if I think the QB will give them the chance to make those plays. I think Anthony is already talented enough and already established enough in rotations that he is likely Michigan's third-best receiver this year. I also think, that his relationship and skillset match with JJ McCarthy means he could have an even bigger year if his fellow sophomore is the one taking the snap.

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