'Route technician' Tyler Morris honing in on role at Michigan
The Michigan Wolverines passing game has taken a step forward in the early stages of the 2023 season, and sophomore Tyler Morris has a role to play in that. He had three catches for 40 yards in a 35-7 win over UNLV with the trio of grabs coming on third downs.
It’s that sort of chain-moving that can make Michigan’s passing game as dangerous as the run as it continues its death by a thousand papercuts approach to wear teams down.
“Being able to find open spaces, knowing what the quarterback is looking for, understanding down and distance, and doing what you can to get open any time the quarterback needs it,” Morris said about his third down prowess.
“I love T Mo’s game a lot,” cornerback Mike Sainristil said on Tuesday night. “I feel like he’s gonna be a really great receiver. And I’ll say on Saturday, actually, he was 100 percent on third downs when the ball was thrown to him. I think he is gonna be a really great player for us this year and years to come.”
Morris has leaned on guidance from players like Sanristil and former Michigan wideout Ronnie Bell, now with the San Francisco 49ers. Position coach Ron Bellamy recently called him a ‘route technician,’ and it all comes down to honing in on the little things and being ready when your number is called.
“Focusing on details,” Morris said. “That’s what it all comes down to. Understanding what the corner is thinking, understanding what you need to make them believe and doing your best to sell that.
“I think some of it is instinct, but a lot of is just looking at other receivers, learning from them and seeing what they do. Obviously, there’s a lot of good receivers in the league and in college and just trying to take pieces from their game.”
Morris has heard comparisons to Bell all offseason, which only got louder when he switched to No. 8 ahead of this year. He embraces the comparison and the standard that was set.
“That’s kind of how I took it,” Morris said. “He was somebody that I learned a lot from last year. With what I learned from him, and him being gone, I saw it as an opportunity to step up.”
Like Bell, Morris also has a chance to return punts at Michigan after getting a look last weekend agaisnt UNLV.
“I would love to return points,” Morris said. “It’s another way to get the ball in my hands. So any way I can touch the ball, that’s what I want.”
Morris, a former high school teammate of starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy, has seen steps forward in his game, too. McCarthy has unlocked more of his dual threat ability at Michigan.
“I would say mobility [is the biggest difference],” Morris said. “In high school, he wasn’t really running a whole lot like it he is now. Now he’s a real threat in the run game and something that teams really have to watch out for. Physically, he’s bigger, stronger, faster. And it’s a legit dual threat.”
Morris and the Wolverines are back in action on Saturday night against Bowling Green in a night game set for 7:30 at Michigan Stadium.
