ANN ARBOR, Michigan – After coming out of spring ball somewhat decimated at the position, Michigan football bolstered its deep receiving corps by adding two players through the transfer portal – one unfamiliar and one very familiar.
The unknown was CJ Charleston, a transfer from Youngstown State. Last year, the Ohio native had 33 receptions for 503 yards and four touchdowns, and has played against Big Ten-level competition throughout his career. He played against Ohio State last season and had one catch for seven yards, but played against State of Michigan in 2021 and had three receptions for 18 yards. Twice in his career (which began in 2019), he has surpassed 100 yards receiving, so he knows what it’s like to finish a game.
His compatriot and leader in Michigan’s receiver room, junior Tyler Morris, says Charleston may still be getting used to the locker room and what it takes to be a Wolverine, but he showed a lot of skill on the practice field.
“He’s definitely going to play for us this year,” Morris said. “He made some really good plays this year. And obviously, being a younger guy, you might watch him a little bit more, just to see what we’re getting from him.
“He’s smart. He’s an older guy, so he knows how college football works. So he’s learning things quickly. He’s making plays, he’s definitely someone who, as fall camp is going on — like I was confident in him. I think he’ll definitely be there to make plays for us.”
The other addition is a familiar face in Amorion Walker, who transferred back to Michigan after spending spring ball at Ole Miss.
Walker was originally recruited as a wide receiver as part of the 2022 class, the same class Morris was in. But in 2023, he was moved to defense, working as a cornerback with the idea that he could be a special player in the defensive backfield. . Injuries and inexperience hampered him and he was transferred before returning as a prodigal son.
Morris has seen big leaps in terms of Walker’s growth now that he’s back as a full-time receiver. And he’s showing things the room forgot he was capable of – namely, his speed.
“I think I’m just showing what he can do as a receiver,” Morris said. “He’s super fast, probably the fastest guy on the team. And just getting a little more comfortable running routes, and really showing his potential. I think that was really the biggest thing, I think, coming back – we didn’t we have spring ball for him, so you kind of forget about that. And then, he comes here and does some stuff, we’re just, OK, we need him this year. Like, we can really use him this year. see what he can do.”
With those two in the mix, Michigan will at least have more than the anticipated starting trio — Morris, Semaj Morgan and Fred Moore — to work with. With Kendrick Bell also showing some things in the spring game at receiver (after converting from quarterback last year), there’s a lot of potential in the room – Michigan just needs to see that potential realized if it wants to have a good 2024 season.
This article was originally published on Wolverines Wire: Transfer wide receivers appearing prominently at Michigan football fall camp
