Tyler Morris appears to be ahead of schedule.
The Rivals250 Michigan wide receiver commit tore his ACL in April but has been working hard in rehab and is on track to be ready by the time he arrives in Ann Arbor in January.
“Really, I’ve just been working on getting my leg stronger again,” Morris said. “I’ve also been working on mechanics as far as sprinting, jumping, cutting and all that stuff.”
Morris, the No. 141 overall prospect nationally, committed to Michigan over offers from Arizona State, Florida, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas and a number of other top programs back in the spring.
Since then, Morris has been completely solid with the Wolverines and has been on campus on several occasions. However, Morris had the opportunity to take in his first Michigan game this month when the Wolverines took down Washington in a marquee matchup.
While in The Big House, Morris bonded with a number of fellow commits and also worked on a pair of key targets.
“It was good to see everyone,” Morris said. “Obviously, we’re all from different areas. You can text, but just being able to be with them in-person and have conversations is really cool. We talked to Domani Jackson up there and Kenneth Grant a little bit. We’re trying to get them onboard.”
Michigan impressed in its dominant win over Washington and moved into the Top 15 nationally after a victory over Rutgers this past weekend. The Wolverines are poised to be contenders in the Big Ten this year, and Morris has high expectations as conference play heats up.
“I feel like they are going to have a really good season this year,” Morris said. “I expect them to go far. I know there has been a lot going on since last year, and some people don’t think they are that good. But I am really confident in them.”
Michigan has mostly been winning by overpowering its opposition on the ground. As a wide receiver recruit, Morris said he’s not too worried about U-M’s run-heavy attack.
“It’s working, so I don’t have too much to say about it,” Morris said. “I trust that when they do need to pass, they will. Right now, nobody is stopping the run, so there is no need to stop running it. As the season goes forward, I feel like they will pass when they need to.”
Michigan freshman quarterback JJ McCarthy has seen a few snaps in his first year with the program and may have delivered the biggest passing highlight of U-M’s season so far in the opener.
Morris and McCarthy are former high school teammates and great friends. The two have been keeping in close contact this fall.
“It’s been cool,” Morris said. “I’ve known him since eighth grade. It’s cool to see the games and watch somebody that I know out there. We talk every other week. He really likes it and can’t wait for me to get up there.”
As mentioned, Morris will arrive at Michigan in January. Morris transferred from La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy to Plainfield (Ill.) East this summer in large part so he could enroll early at U-M.
“I’m really excited,” Morris said. “If I could go right now, I would. Enrolling early is a big deal for me because I feel like it gives me more time to get mentally and physically ready as well as learn the playbook.”
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