Semaj Morgan wants to "lead by example" like Mike Sainristil
Freshman wide receiver Semaj Morgan was a breakout star on and off the field for Michigan Football in 2023. With Cornelious Johnson and Roman Wilson heading to the NFL, Morgan is expected to take on a bigger role this season for the Wolverines. Now entering his sophomore season, Morgan is young but says he carries himself like a veteran.
"I do kind of feel like the veteran," Morgan said Thursday while meeting with the media. "I did play last year. A lot of coaches and a lot of my teammates look to me as a leader. This year I am focusing on trying to step up to become a leader by example. Because that is something I took from Mike Sainristil, it's something important to do."
Morgan and Sainristil had a relationship back when Morgan was in high school when Sainristil still played WR. Last season, Morgan got to be Sainristil's teammate and, like so many other Michigan players, said he learned a lot from the two-time captain.
"All he did was lead by example. If you were ever not locked in, he would get on you, but he was always doing what he was supposed to do. People would see it, and they would follow it."
Morgan and junior Tyler Morris are the leaders of a very young and inexperienced wide receiver room. Morgan's fellow 2023 commit Fred Moore is also expected to take on an expanded role, but as far as the roles go and where guys will ultimately play, Morgan says they are still figuring that out.
"We're all young. This spring, we all are just coming into our own. We all go deep, we all go short, we all run screens. By the time the season comes, I think we'll really know. Right now we are still developing into our own."
As far as spring practices go, Morgan says not much has changed with new coaching staff and player turnover, and he likes what he is saying from his teammates early in spring.
"It's been a great couple of weeks for us. It's been really chippy. Real competitive. I just like that about our team. We got a lot of dogs on our team."
One of the biggest changes for Morgan will be who is throwing him the ball this season. Michigan has been rotating quarterbacks all spring as it works to find its 2024 starter. While Morgan acknowledges it will be different without JJ back there, again, many things will stay the same.
"It's a different body back there but the same Michigan. We're about details and precision. As long as we got that Block M, we're going to be the same offense."
Morgan and Michigan will hold their annual Maize vs Blue Spring Game on April 20 at Michigan Stadium.
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