Semaj J. Morgan (born May 6, 2005) is an American football wide receiver for the Michigan Wolverines. As a true freshman, Morgan helped Michigan win a national championship in 2023.
 Morgan celebrating a Big Ten Championship with Michigan in 2023 | |
| Michigan Wolverines – No. 0 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Class | Sophomore |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 6, 2005 |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 176 lb (80 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
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| Bowl games |
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| High school | West Bloomfield (Michigan) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Early life
editMorgan was born in 2005 in West Bloomfield, Michigan, the son of Semaj and Erika Morgan.[1] He played high school football at West Bloomfield High School, from 2019 to 2022, playing wide receiver, safety and kick returner.[2][3] His head coach at West Bloomfield was Ronald Bellamy, who would later coach Morgan as the Michigan Wolverines wide receivers coach. Morgan also played for West Bloomfield's basketball and track and field teams.
As a sophomore in 2020, Morgan was All-Region and won a state championship at West Bloomfield with high school teammate, Donovan Edwards. As a junior in 2021, he caught 61 passes for 1,015 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was named a All-State selection by the Detroit Free Press. As a senior in 2022, he tallied 744 receiving yards, 192 rushing yards and 22 total touchdowns. He was a U.S. Army Bowl All-American and named to the Detroit Free Press: Dream Team.[4]
He was rated as a four-star prospect, and the No. 10 prospect in Michigan by Rivals.[5] He received scholarship offers from 20 Division I football programs, including Michigan, Ole Miss, Missouri, West Virginia, Purdue and Maryland.[6][7]
College career
editFreshman season
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Morgan enrolled early at the University of Michigan in January 2023.[8] In his freshman season, he appeared in all 15 games for the Wolverines as a return specialist and slot receiver, winning a national championship.[9] Morgan recorded his first collegiate reception against UNLV on September 9, and scored his first collegiate touchdown, an 18-yard pass from J. J. McCarthy against Rutgers on September 23.[10][11]
In the 2023 Big Ten Championship, Morgan returned a punt 87 yards before being tackled on the 2 yard line, leading to the first touchdown in the game, a rushing score by Blake Corum.[12][13] In the 2024 Rose Bowl, Morgan muffed a punt early in the contest, resulting in a costly turnover to Alabama. He remained stead, finishing the game with a team-high four receptions and had a rushing attempt, registering 44 total yards.[14]
Morgan finished the 2023 season with 22 receptions for 204 yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, 4 rushing attempts for 67 yards, and 2 rushing touchdowns. In addition, he had 287 yards in return yardage. He was an All-Big Ten honorable mention by both the coaches and media as a freshman. [15]
Sophomore season
editIn 2024, Morgan stepped into a larger role as a leader and first-string wide receiver, following the departures of Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson.[16][17] He changed his jersey from No. 82 to No. 0 before the start of fall camp.[18] In week two against Texas, Morgan scored his first touchdown of the season, a 31 yard reception, finishing with five catches for 45 yards.[19]
References
edit- ^ Tondora, John (January 1, 2024). "Visions, verve and a vocation to serve: Semaj Morgan's identity off the gridiron". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ "WR Semaj Morgan". Detroit Free Press. December 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Mick McCabe (October 28, 2022). "West Bloomfield's Morgan backs up the bragging". Detroit Free Press. p. 7C – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Semaj Morgan". University of Michigan. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- ^ "Semaj Morgan Recruiting Profile". Rivals.
- ^ "'Like a movie'". Detroit Free Press. July 28, 2022. p. B7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jared Purcell (December 21, 2022). "'Destiny' guides 3-star WR Semaj Morgan to signing with Michigan Wolverines football". Mlive.com.
- ^ Ryan Zuke (September 27, 2023). "Freshman receiver's confidence translating into production for Michigan". Mlive.com.
- ^ "Michigan does it at last, powering through Washington for first national title since 1997". FOX Sports. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ Connor Earegood (September 27, 2023). "Semaj Morgan showing flashes of the receiver he can become". The Michigan Daily.
- ^ Brandon Brown (September 24, 2023). "Semaj Morgan Has What It Takes To Be Key Contributor, Fan Favorite". Wolverine Digest. SI.com.
- ^ Zuniga, Alejandro (December 21, 2023). "Semaj Morgan reflects on 'dream' freshman year at Michigan and promises: 'I will be doing more'". 247Sports. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ "Semaj Morgan's ELECTRIC 84-yard punt return sets up Blake Corum's TD as Michigan extends lead over Iowa". Fox Sports.
- ^ "Michigan 27-20 Alabama (Jan 1, 2024) Box Score". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ "Semaj Morgan - Football". University of Michigan Athletics. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ Goldman, Lys (April 11, 2024). "Using lessons from Mike Sainristil, Semaj Morgan looking to lead by example in young receiver room". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ Foulk, Grace (May 10, 2024). "If you liked Roman Wilson, pay attention to Semaj Morgan next fall". Maize n Brew. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ Hole, Isaiah (June 16, 2024). "Michigan football WR Semaj Morgan changes jersey number". Wolverines Wire. USA Today. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ "Michigan v. Texas (2024)". ESPN.
External links
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