It’s been 5 years since Michigan had a WR like Nico Collins — that might be changing

Michigan had unspectacular receiver play last season, and it’s been even longer since it’s had a true downfield threat at the position. But Sherrone Moore believes the Wolverines might have an answer this year with Donaven McCulley

It might seem like a foreign concept for a school so known for its run-first identity to produce one of the best receivers in the NFL. Well, it’s not exactly foreign for Michigan, as Nico Collins has emerged to be one of the best deep threats in all of football over the last three seasons for the Houston Texans .

But before Collins was catching passes from C.J. Stroud with the Texans, he was a part of a talented receiver group in Ann Arbor alongside Donovan Peoples-Jones, Tarik Black, and a young Ronnie Bell.

Collins had his best seasons with Michigan in 2018 and 2019, where he caught a combined 75 passes for 1,361 yards and 13 touchdowns. He made his biggest impact down the field, boasting an incredible 17.8 yards per reception throughout his college career. He was a big threat in the red zone, where he always seemed to win jump balls thanks in part to his great hands and 6-foot-4 frame. Despite his size, he also showed the ability to pick up yards after the catch.

It might seem crazy, but it’s been five seasons since Michigan has had a downfield artist of Collins’ caliber. There have been splashy plays on occasion, but nobody has truly shown to be the type of reliable vertical threat Collins was.

A skillset like his was especially missed last season when Michigan’s wide receiver group was among the most undersized and unproductive in the country. That’s what led Sherrone Moore and company to dip into the transfer portal this offseason and obtain the services of Donaven McCulley, a former Indiana Hoosier that brings a Collins-like skillset to the table.

“Big, tall, strong, fast, explosive, big-play ability,” Moore said of McCulley at Big Ten Media Days. “He gives you what we kind of got with Nico.”

McCulley joined Indiana as a quarterback in 2021 and actually started under center against Michigan in their 2021 matchup. However, the coaching staff was smart to move the 6-foot-5 McCulley to receiver ahead of his sophomore year. He broke out his junior year with 644 yards and six touchdowns on 48 receptions.

Last season, McCulley appeared to fall out of favor with Curt Cignetti’s new staff and fell behind talented receivers like Elijah Sarratt, Omar Cooper Jr. and Myles Price. Looking for a fresh start, he entered the portal and chose the Wolverines.

Moore has been impressed by what he’s seen from McCulley so far, thinking he can be the type of big-play threat the team has been looking for.

“In the spring, he flashed more often than not for being a big play receiver. We’re excited to see what he does,” Moore said. “We think he’s going to be a great weapon for us.”

In addition to his comments about McCulley, Moore acknowledged the receiver group wasn’t up to the standard he’d hoped for last year. He pointed out Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson as guys who had helped raise the mentality and standard of the room and that it needed to get back to that level, but he also expressed confidence the group is on the way to doing so.

“They had a great example in a guy like Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson,” Moore said. “We feel really good about (the wide receiver) room and continuing to work to make sure we take the standard to the next level.”

In addition to McCulley, the Wolverines added UMass transfer Anthony Simpson, who might be a better fit in the slot. Michigan also brought in three freshmen in Andrew Marsh, Jamar Browder and Jacob Washington. Hopefully a veteran like McCulley can help the younger players get up to speed on playing the position at the college level while also making big plays of his own to help raise Michigan’s aerial attack.