Michigan freshmen class of wide receivers are turning heads in fall camp

Michigan addressed something in the wide receiver room that it thought it was lacking last season, and that’s size across the board in the wide receiver room.

The Wolverines addressed an immediate need with the addition of Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley and also looked to the future by signing talented freshmen Andrew Marsh, Jamar Browder and Jacob Washington.

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It appears that the future might be closer than you think for the three freshmen, at least two we know for sure.

Speaking to reporters this week, U-M head coach Sherrone Moore was asked about his younger players and made sure to go out of his way to praise both Marsh and Browder for what they’ve shown so far in fall camp.

Even going as far as to say that he’s expecting them to see the field at some point this season.

“Receiver-wise, Jamar Browder, Andrew Marsh, those guys are going to play for us this year,” Moore said. “They’re both dynamic athletes and players, and just ahead of where they need to be and where the guys usually are. The freshmen, from a talent standpoint, they’re really, really good.”

Their position coach, Ron Bellamy, thinks similarly as Browder has taken a liking to what Donaven McCulley has shown and is working to emulate things into his own game.

“Big guys, both guys can run and jump,” Bellamy said. “You look at their athletic traits, obviously McCulley, his fifth year in college and Browder being in his first year, he’s a little bit more physically developed than Browder. He’s a little bit more experienced as a route runner, different things to that nature. But could tell Jamar, he watches everything that Donoven does and tries to emulate it. And that, to me, that’s exciting when seeing guys doing that as opposed to saying let me do it my way and then if it doesn’t work, so be it. But he’s trying to emulate McCulley as much as possible.”

In Marsh’s case, it’s the polish and the attention to detail that has translated from high school to the next level that has caught Bellamy’s eye in the early stages.

“That’s why we love him,” Bellamy said. “As you watched him in recruiting, watch his high school tape,, he’s a guy that is polished, fast, gets in and out of the breaks, has a big catch radius, super competitive. We’ve seen all those things. I’m super excited. Like any young guy, you’re chasing details every day. Just him learning offense, not just plays. Learn exactly where to be, what to do. If this happens, what is my adjustment to that? So he’s learned all those little nuances, but he’s flash. I’m excited to see his career take off. He’s a great football player, but a better person. Really love him.”

For Washington, while his coaches haven’t come out and said that they expect him to play in his first season, it doesn’t mean that he’s not developing, either.

Bellamy says that Washington’s development is coming along at a good pace and is expected to have a bright career in Ann Arbor.

“Jacob, the things that we loved about him was a tall guy, rangy, 6’3″, could run,” Bellamy said. “Another Louisiana guy. I’m going to shout out my Louisiana guys. But he came in, he’s learning. He didn’t have an opportunity to do spring ball, and he’s learning the position, and he’s doing well. He’s right where we want him to be at, and, it’s going to take some time to get that playbook fully detailed out, but he’s making plays. Opportunity comes to him, but he can run. He’s a long guy that can run.”