If you've missed any of The Wolverine's spring coverage, get caught up on everything at our Spring Ball Headquarters.
Michigan will see all of its top receiving targets return for the 2018 season — including sophomore wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.
Peoples-Jones caught 22 passes for 277 yards last season as a freshman, and is expected to top those numbers this fall.
Better quarterback play will be critical to the success of U-M’s receivers, who caught just three touchdown passes last year (tight ends caught five and running backs caught one). As a group, which has fellow sophomore Tarik Black back from injury, the wide receivers are working on route running and getting open.
“We’re just all individually trying to get better,” Peoples-Jones said. “We have to get open for our quarterback, and we have to be ready for that at any given time.”
When watching film, Peoples-Jones says he always picks something out that he can do better. He’s used to the college game speed now and has a feel for how defensive backs will play him.
He’s working with the new coaches, including wide receivers coach Jim McElwain, to improve those skills.
“He’s a great coach,” Peoples-Jones said. “You can tell that he has a lot of experience with things, coaching quarterbacks and receivers, so it’s been pretty good.”
Peoples-Jones has also been able to work with former Michigan receiver and current graduate assistant Roy Roundtree.
“I love Roy,” Peoples-Jones said. “Roundtree is a great coach. He’s one of the guys that has already played the position, understands the nuances of route running and being in certain positions. He gives a lot of insight to us young receivers because he’s already been there.”
He’s catching passes from a number of different receivers this year, most notably junior transfer Shea Patterson. Patterson to Peoples-Jones could be a call fans could get used to hearing come fall — if Patterson is ruled eligible. Peoples-Jones says all the quarterbacks are competing hard and making improvements. The intensity of the quarterback competition is noticeable to everyone on the practice field.
He added that each quarterback has shown to excel in different areas and that all throw hard, saying you’d need to measure to see which signal caller actually throws the hardest. Regardless of which guy is at the helm, it should be a breakout year for Peoples-Jones and the rest of the young wide receivers.
“We didn’t have a good season last year, no one wants to be 8-5,” Peoples-Jones said. “We have to kick-start new things and bring new energy to everything we do.”
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @BSB_Wolverine, @JB_ Wolverine, @AustinFox42, @AndrewVcourt, @Balas_Wolverine and @EvanPetzold.
• Like us on Facebook
