Michigan Football: Why Wide Receiver will be the Most Important Position in 2023
The Wolverines have certainty in just about every offensive position… except for one
Michigan football returns tons of production from an elite offense in 2022 and is going to look to be even better in 2023. It’s not very often that a national championship contender is able to return their QB, both of their top RBs, two of their top WRs, 3/5 of their elite OL, and their top TE. The Wolverines do just that.
With JJ McCarthy having a full year as a starter under his belt, the junior signal caller will look to compete for the Heisman trophy – if the staff unleashes him. This offense has the potential to be the best that Michigan football has ever had. There’s just one position that holds uncertainty, and that position could be the key to winning the program’s first national title in over 25 years.
Without further ado, here is why the wide receiver group will be the most important position in 2023.
An Elite WR Can Overcome Disadvantages
Michigan doesn’t have the recruits that Georgia has. Or Alabama. Or even Ohio State. Those teams, quite simply, have more raw talent than the Wolverines. The SEC powerhouses boast ungodly speed and power on defense – traits that neutralized the Wolverines stout running attack in 2021.
Against these defenses, running the ball 60%+ of the time doesn’t work. Their athletes are going to win more times than they lose, and that’s the unfortunate truth. That doesn’t mean that they can’t be beaten, however.
Recent history tells us that offense is the key to winning a championship, not defense. More specifically, airing the ball out to stud receivers is the key. That’s the trump card. The play that can overcome any disadvantage.
By now, both the fans and the staff must understand that a potent air attack is required if you want to compete for national championships. Don’t take my word for it though, let’s look at some recent history.
In 2022, Ohio State was a botched field goal away from being national champions. They were up 14 on Georgia through three quarters, on the back of Marvin Harrison Jr’s 106 yards and two touchdowns. Quite frankly, everybody knows that Ohio State wins that game if Marvin Harrison Jr doesn’t get hurt.
Georgia then went on to beat TCU by 60.
In 2021, Alabama defeated Georgia in the SEC Championship 41-24 due in large part to Jameson Williams’ 184 yards and two touchdowns. Georgia would go on to win the National Championship after Williams tore his ACL, but the Tide held a lead prior to his injury and more than likely would have won.
In 2020, Alabama won the championship on the backs of Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith.
In 2019 Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson burst onto the scene to help bring a championship to LSU.
Yes, these teams were great at every other offensive position. They all had elite quarterbacks and a great running game. Michigan football has those as well. Wide receiver is the most important position for the Wolverines because there is so much uncertainty in the room. A breakout player could be the difference between a national championship or a playoff exit.
A great wide receiver is a true difference-maker. A player who can take the top off of the defense levels any playing field. Michigan football has all the other pieces needed to win a championship, but the question is will anyone in the wide receiver room step up?
Is it Realistic that the Wolverines could have that in 2023?
There’s definitely a legitimate possibility that the Wolverines could have someone step up in a big way in 2023. After two straight playoff losses, the staff understands that it needs to adopt more of a passing identity if they want to win a championship.
I expect that we’re going to see more passing attempts early in the season. There shouldn’t be any games where McCarthy has under 20 passing attempts through four quarters of play. The staff is also going to want to keep Corum and Edwards healthy, so I don’t expect them to be overworked either.
Put simply, this team has national championship aspirations, so I expect to see appropriate adaptations. Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson are two guys that could become elite in 2023, but I’ll give the nod to Wilson. Cornelius Johnson has never been able to consistently assert himself.
Yes, he dominated against Ohio State, but that was his only real notable performance in 2022. Wilson, on the other hand, started the season on fire. Against the lesser competition, he was dominant and looked like a game-breaking wide receiver. Then, Wilson battled injuries throughout Big Ten play and became pretty nonexistent.
Against TCU, however, he reemerged, giving us plenty of reason to hype him up heading into 2023. He’s added weight and kept his speed, which gives him plenty of breakout potential in 2023.
Another big breakout candidate is Tyler Morris. Morris looks just like Ronnie Bell, and I could see him being similar to a Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He may not blow by everyone and Moss people, but he can definitely find ways to get open.
The longest shot, but maybe the receiver with the highest potential, is Darius Clemons. Clemons has the physical attributes to be one of the best in the nation, but it’s up to him to reach that potential.
The early season games will be very telling as to the identity of this team. We’re going to find out early if the Wolverines could have a game-breaking receiver. If they do, the ceiling for this team gets that much higher.
Go Blue!