Michigan Football Could Have the Best Wide Receivers in the Big Ten

Even with an uncertain situation at quarterback, you can still expect big production from the Michigan football’s wide receivers in 2016.

The entire wide receiver corps returns for Michigan football this year, which should make fans and either John O’Korn or Wilton Speight very happy.

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The wide receivers were a huge question mark at this point last year, but by the time the bowl game against Florida rolled around, it was proven beyond a doubt that this group can compete with the best defenses in the country.

Jehu Chesson emerged as a legitimate No. 1 option in a potent passing attack about halfway through last year. We knew that he was fast and big coming out of fall camp in 2015, but it was unclear whether he could run precise routes and actually, you know, catch the ball. I’d say he thoroughly proved his doubters wrong last season.

Amarah Darboh probably has the best hands of anyone on the team and will be Chesson’s counterpart split wide on the other side of the field, though he did prove last year that he could work from the slot if need be.

Both he and Chesson have the makeup to be No. 1 receivers, so a lot of their involvement will depend upon who the quarterback feels more comfortable with (Rudock settled in with Chesson last year effectively).

Grant Perry and Moe Ways (if this group of receivers isn’t the best in the Big Ten, it definitely has the coolest names) will both spend most of their time in the slot, and the offense will be looking for more production from both of them this year.

Here’s a look at what we should expect from the Wolverines’ receivers this season.

Next: Jehu Chesson

Jehu Chesson

Chesson’s been a little banged up since the spring camp, but by all accounts he should be 100 percent or close to it for the opener against Hawaii, which is fortunate because whoever the new quarterback is will have to establish a good rapport with all of the receivers—Chesson in particular—during the out-of-conference schedule.

He was recruited as a three-star burner out of Missouri, but after one year with a competent coaching staff he proved himself to be one of the most explosive, and eventually consistent, receivers in the Big Ten.

If he can continue running routes the way he was towards the end of last season, we could see him eclipse the 1,000-yard mark this year.

Case in point: this drag route against Indiana. (It’s Indiana, I know, but this is an impressive play either way.)

It’s important to remember that Chesson can straight fly, too. It took forever to finally hit Chesson downfield on a go route last year, but once he and Rudock were able to connect, offensive coordinator Tim Drevno went back to that well a couple more times successfully, because unless he’s matched up against Desmond King, Chesson should be able to outrun most of the corners tasked with covering him.

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It was clear for most of the season that Chesson was a good-to-very good Big Ten receiver that was learning to use his elite speed and sizable frame to make catches in traffic over the middle or one-on-one down the sideline, but the bowl game cemented the fact that he could potentially wind up on an All-American team this season. He almost unanimously won his match-ups against Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III, who went No. 11 in this year’s NFL draft.

That video also highlights something that gets passed over in live broadcasts way too frequently: Chesson is a hell of a downfield blocker. He’s an indispensable receiver who’s not afraid to lay into bigger defenders and lead the way for running backs.

That type of receiver was a staple of the Bo years and especially the Lloyd Carr years. Of course, it could just be because he appreciates when his counterparts do the same for him when he’s carrying the ball: Chesson is an absolute terror on reverses. He ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns on eight (!) carries last year.

Barring injury, this could be a huge season for Chesson.

Next: Amara Darboh

Amarah Darboh

First of all, it was mentioned a few times least year, but if you haven’t read about Darboh’s path to the United States and eventually Ann Arbor, go read about it now. It’s amazing.

Watching Darboh work last year reminded me of a cross between Jason Avant and Marquis Walker. Avant could work inside and outside and had no trouble catching balls in traffic. Walker was a little taller and faster than Avant and was effective as both a No. 1 and No. 2 receiver on the outside.

Avant was a great receiver opposite Braylon Edwards, and though Jehu Chesson is making strides, he ain’t Braylon Edwards.

The good news is that Darboh is bigger and faster than Avant and provides more of an outside threat than Avant ever could, and he’s more of a weapon in the middle of the field or in the slot than Walker ever was.

While we’re on the subject, though, let’s remember some cool catches:

And…

Chesson put himself on every Big Ten opponent’s radar last year, and Jake Butt will garner a lot of attention from defenses as well, so Darboh has a big opportunity to step up as a fifth-year senior.

He caught 54 balls last year; I could see him grabbing 10-15 more this year. He’ll probably make his living about 15 yards or in from the line of scrimmage out on the edges, given the fact that Chesson and Butt will be the primary deep threats.

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Darboh is the best route runner on the team right now, and that’s going to come in handy because he just might end up being the linchpin of the offense.

Hopefully Grant Perry can continue to improve and Moe ways lives up to the hype, but it’s going to be on Darboh to keep shallow safeties (something Michigan will see a lot) honest and spread out in order to keep Chesson and Butt in single coverage.

I have faith that he’ll have a productive season with or without the ball, as he showed a strong understanding of the offense last year and was willing to do just about whatever was asked of him.

Next: Grant Perry

Grant Perry

Perry had a typical up-and-down freshman year as a receiver last season (almost all freshmen receivers do).

He had a few egregious drops—including a few with no one within five yards of him. Most of those seemed like nerves more than anything, though he would get lost on one or two plays a game at the beginning of the season, which led to him seeing less and less of the field.

Perry played himself back into the rotation and ended the season on a high note: five catches for 51 yards and his first touchdown of his career against a very good Florida defense. That’s encouraging heading into this season, especially because all you can realistically ask from freshman receivers is steady improvement.

At 6-foot, 196 pounds, Perry has an ideal frame for a slot receiver in a Harbaugh offense. He’s small enough to snake through traffic 5-15 yards out and is just big enough to occupy a defensive back long enough to spring a back on a running play.

At spring practice, wide receivers coach Jedd Fisch told mlive.com that the Wolverines need more production from all of their receivers, but they need consistency from the No. 3 spot in particular (Perry had all of 14 catches last year):

"We need more production (from the No. 3 slot),” Fisch, Michigan’s passing game coordinator, said this week. “We need someone else to be in that range of 40 or 50 catches. We need Amara and Jehu to be in the range of 75 catches. They need to get up.“And the third receiver needs to then bring his numbers up. Let’s get (that) to 40. Let’s get two more first downs a game. Give us one more explosive play a game. Keep us on the field for one more drive. Allow us to play with more guys.”"

That’s going to take significant improvement from Perry, but receivers—especially in power offenses—have a tendency to make a jump after their freshman year.

It looks like Perry should be able to nail down the three spot, but Moe Ways and Drake Harris are still going to be right on his tail, especially given the enthusiasm with which the coaching staff talked about Ways in the offseason.

Perry will probably have a short leash, but unless he really messes up, I would guess the solution will be to have Ways and Perry split time in the slot and occasionally line Darboh up around the hash marks.

Next: Moe Ways

Moe Ways

Ways was basically used as a blocker whenever he saw game time last year, catching only three passes all year. He was effective as a blocker, though, which will always garner some attention from a coach like Harbaugh. The staff has been high on Ways for most of the offseason, but a foot injury has limited the tape on him.

According to an MGoBlue.com feature, the coaching staff seems to think that Ways could have a breakout season similar to Jehu Chesson’s last year. They’re about the same size and are both fast, quick receivers. Ways might be even more raw than Chesson was at this point last year, though.

Assuming he’s healthy (and the coaching staff says he is), I think we could see a lot of him during the non-conference schedule to see exactly where he is in his development.

Ways could end up being a luxury that Michigan hasn’t had in a long time: a fourth receiver that the opposing defense actually has to account for. It’s similar to what I said about Ian Bunting the other day: Harbaugh loves players that have the capability to break for a big play but don’t have to be on the field consistently.

Ways can do his normal job of blocking, running outs by the first down marker, and then all of the sudden he could wind up behind a defense that was focusing too much on Chesson, Darboh, and Butt.

Perry doesn’t really have that skill set, so it’ll be interesting to see how much time Ways can get split out wide as opposed to opposite Perry in the slot.

Next: Drake Harris

Drake Harris

I’m putting Harris down here not because I doubt he can be a really good receiver; I’m putting him down here because I—and many others—have been convinced of that his entire career. Between injuries and shaky performances, he just hasn’t been a productive player.

He has the frame (6-foot-4, 188 pounds) to play on the outside, but injuries have seemed to have slowed him down a step, which doesn’t help when you rely on speed more than anything else.

He played a little outside and a little inside last year, and by all accounts he’s played both well in spring and fall practices this year.

Maybe this is the year Harris is able to break out. If he does, this receiving unit will be one the best in the country.

Next: Conclusion

Conclusion

This is going to be a very good group of receivers no matter who the quarterback is. If they can work out some inevitable chemistry issues before Big Ten play starts, things will be looking very good. It’s been a while since any Michigan fan could say with relative certainty that the floor for the receiving corps is good-to-quite good.

If Ways proves himself worthy of the offseason hype, Perry continues to improve, and Harris can keep it together, this will be one of the best units in the country.

In that scenario, you’ve got two very good seniors on the edges—one of whom can play inside—two more big, fast guys that can play inside or out, and one true slot receiver. They have all proven they can block effectively and aren’t afraid of contact, and they’ll all have a better understanding of the offense in year two.

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Unless the new quarterback just falls down on every play, expect some major production from these guys this year.