Well here’s a happy for those of us still capable of football happiness in 2021. Tyler Morris, one of two Illinois receivers Josh Gattis has been laser-focused on since he took the Michigan job, announced his commitment to join former teammate and 7-on-7 mate and straight-up mate J.J. McCarthy in Ann Arbor next fall.

The silky smooth inside-outside receiver choosing Michigan over Notre Dame doesn’t make up for Xavier Worthy getting poached before he even had a chance to enroll. But landing our top 2022 target at the position does soften the blow. Morris gives Michigan another huge shot of playmaking and athleticism at the receiver position for the near future. He also might help them snag the third and final piece of the Chicago Triad, their old 7-on-7 teammate ATH/slot receiver Kaleb Brown, from the evil clutches of Ohio State.

For now, here’s a Michigan pledge like every Buckeye wideout in your nightmares:

GURU RATINGS

Rivals	ESPN	247	247 Comp
4*, 5.9, #78 Ovr, #8 WR, #3 IL	4*, 83, #135 Ovr, #15 WR, #11 MW, #3 IL	4*, 94, #78 Ovr, #9 WR, #3 IL	4*, 0.9645, #80 Ovr, #10 WR, #3 IL
4.57	4.44	4.51	4.65

All three sites list Morris at 6-0, with 24/7 and Rivals listing his weight at 175 and ESPN at 170. His high school, which recently started play on Morris’s COVID-delayed junior season, lists him at 5-11/180, which seems both more honest and more recent.

Those rankings currently place Morris at 4.54, one-hundredth of a point ahead of Worthy for 13th all time in my comps list of Michigan receiver recruits since 1990. That tight group of 4.5-star receivers includes Jason Avant, DiAllo Johnson, Tai Streets, Je’Ron Stokes, Todd Brooks, AJ Henning, Drake Harris, and Adrian Arrington. Mario Manningham is hovering just above them. But the guy just about everybody compares Morris to is a name known well to Michigan, Notre Dame, and Detroit Lions fans. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the next Golden Tate.

[Hit THE JUMP for scouting, video, and the rest.]

SCOUTING

Rivals’ EJ Holland lives close enough to Bolingbrook/La Grange, and attends so many 7-on-7 camps, that he got to see Morris more often than some of his family members. He is, in a word, stoked:

Morris is a tactical route runner, has perhaps the best hands in the class and has the ability to play inside or outside.

When healthy, Morris is one of the best overall prospects in the country. Morris had a tremendous offseason on the 7v7 circuit with Midwest Boom and got better and better every time I saw him. Just before the start of his spring junior season, Morris had his most dominant tournament yet in Myrtle Beach. Morris was absolutely the best player in an event loaded with high level recruits. The four-star prospect can quietly take over games. All of sudden, you look up and the dude has 200 yards.

Nazareth Academy head coach Tim Racki said Morris has “Hall of Fame hands”:

"I can't believe I'm saying this,” Rack said. “Tyler could always catch the football, but this year, he's making some amazing catches. His body control on the sidelines and ability to catch it with one hand secure the catch stands out. You can tell because of his growth physically that he's faster and stronger. That has really helped. We've had some great ones here, but he's in the Hall of Fame when it comes to the best hands I've coached."

…and an even better head:

It's not just his physical traits, but his football IQ is off the charts. Tyler is never satisfied. … he wants to be the best of the best. He knows that in order to do that, you have to train and watch film when nobody is looking. He certainly does that. His leadership is what I'm most proud of. It's rare for me to have a junior captain, but he's earned his stripes.

...and doesn’t think he’ll ever see the like again:

“Michigan’s getting a special one. He’s a rare breed. I’ve coached in nine state title games, and he’s one of those 1-percenters that you get in your coaching career. …

It’s confidence and focus,” said Racki, who has coached at Nazareth since 2005. “You watch his highlights, you can see his incredible body control, athleticism, incredible hands. He catches anything thrown at him. I’ve lost count of how many one-handed catches I’ve seen him make since he was a freshman with us. Just incredibly disciplined and poised, composure in big games. And this goes back to when he was a freshman. I knew he was special.”

Racki told 24/7 he almost didn’t let Morris play on varsity at first because  the freshman was so small, crediting Morris’s attitude for the way he thrived.

“(It) speaks volumes about his maturity level because he didn’t say a lot,” Racki said. “He just kept his eyes open and his ears open, and he quietly made his way into the lineup with a lot of strong egos and characters on that team. They immediately embraced him because he’s not a talker, not a trash talker. He doesn’t let anyone get into his head.”

Holland added he thinks Morris’s route-running is better than half of the receivers at Michigan right now:

Morris knows how to create separation and while he's not a burner, he's quick in and out of his breaks. Morris also has a high football IQ and a deep understanding of the game. He has the flexibility to play inside or outside and again, has the body control to make some acrobatic grabs. If I had to make a player comparison, it would be Ohio State's Garrett Wilson, who I covered during my time on the Texas beat.

Josh Helmholdt, their Midwest analyst, agrees on the polish, but sees a ceiling due to size,

Morris has a keen understanding of the receiver position, from how to get his release from the line of scrimmage to how to find the soft spots in zones to knowing how to set up defensive backs and create separation. Of course, Morris’ physical tools are also impressive and I remember him being an elite high jumper who had a personal best of 6-foot-5 before even entering high school.

… Morris is on the smaller side for the position and I do believe [he] will find his highest potential in a slot role. He takes jet sweeps and returns kicks for his high school team, both responsibilities I could see him continuing along with receiving duties at the college level.

…but not speed, if you’re talking about slot and jet sweeps and kick returns. “Edgy” Tim O’Halloran also saw plenty of gears:

Morris has terrific speed and physical tools, runs and plays with a high level of skills and Morris is as fluid a route runner as anyone in this positional group.

…and named Morris his best the 2022s when that meant freshmen.

Allen Trieu, 24/7’s Midwest analyst, describes literally an Olympic-level athlete:

He comes from a background of multiple sports, the most prominent being track where he was a Junior Olympic champion high jumper. He was also running in the 11s in the 100-meter dash prior to getting to high school.

That athleticism has shown up whenever we have seen him in-game or at a 7-on-7 or camp. He has made some spectacular plays where he gets up into the air and comes down with the ball. He adjusts to passes very well and has natural body control. He is a fluid, agile player. That shows up as a route-runner where he can shift gears and change directions smoothly and create separation. He also has great elusiveness after the catch. In his route-running, he also shows instincts for finding open areas.

…before adding “continuing to add some bulk and strength” as an area for improvement, which is sort of a theme:

Fluid, loose-hipped and that helps him both after the catch and as a route runner. Shows good instincts for finding space as a route runner. Can be effective on jet sweeps and screens. Has to add some bulk and get stronger still. Can do so many things for an offense that it is hard to imagine scenarios where he will not be productive in college because he can of his versatility.

J.R. Niklos, the founder of Midwest Boom, the 7-on-7 team Morris, McCarthy, and Brown all played for, used other, and less fair comparisons:

"I think he’s as special as it gets as a wide receiver in this class. Every college coach I talked to I said this kid is special. He reminds me of a Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Smith, the type of receiver that will get 200 yards and you don’t realize it. He catches everything, he knows how to get open in zone, he knows how to defeat man, He’s as special a receiver we’ve had and we’ve had some pretty darn good receivers in our classes.

Niklos has Jordan Westerkamp, Kyle Prater, Mikey Dudek, Christian Gibbs, Rashied Davis, and a lot of excellent former Big Ten West running backs.

I always like when we win a recruitment against the Irish, because to hell with Notre Dame, yes, but also because I really like some of their 24/7 scouts, like Kevin Sinclair, who had Morris in his backyard:

smooth, elusive, and intelligent receiver with exceptional ball skills. Within a high-quality program in Nazareth Academy, the Top 100 prospect appears to have the It Factor.

The only questions some have had in Morris, albeit, criticisms of a sophomore the last time he played, were his size and questions of whether he has what would be true breakaway speed on the college level.

ND homer Tom Loy fell in love at a camp way back in the summer of 2019:

better than expected. He was extremely hard to handle during the one-on-ones and had his way with everyone he went against. He attacked the ball in the air, ran tight routes and caught everything thrown his way.

…after which Morris momentarily passed his friend Kaleb Brown as the #1 prospect in Illinois and had Lorenz talking about a potential 5th star that never materialized. Brown did pass Morris again over the 2020, with both falling back when national #1 WR Luther Burden, an Oklahoma commit from Saint Louis, moved across the river.

Brandon Brown, formerly of here and Rivals, describes, well, Golden Tate:

He's fast, quick, gets separation and catches the ball naturally. He has really good body control and plays bigger than his listed 6-0, 175 pounds because of his ability to go up and get the ball. His biggest strength, however, is creating once the ball is in his hands. He lines up all over the formation, including in the backfield, and is very natural as a runner. He makes people miss in space, breaks tackles often for someone of his stature and has enough long speed to pull away once he gets into the open field.

He also shows that he likes the physical aspect of the game when trying to break away from tacklers and press coverage and especially when playing defensive back. He has no issue with sticking his face in the fan, making a big hit or taking on bigger players.

Weaknesses were “is small” and “I haven’t seen him block.”

Camp performer: For a big 7-on-7 guy there are of course many camp takes. He was the top performer to Rivals and runner up for Alpha Dog to 24/7 national analyst Steve Wiltfong at the East Coast Regional in Myrtle Beach last February:

The most clutch receiver in the camp … seemed to come up with the big plays whenever Midwest Boom needed them. Very reliable, a terrific route runner, a player that understands how to get open with terrific leaping ability.

Rivals’ Chad Simmons was most impressed by Morris’s acceleration at NFA7v7 camp (video):

Tyler Morris showed a burst after the catch, and what he can do after he has the ball in his hands stood out. He caught the ball in stride, he ran past defenders, and the four-star wide receiver out of Illinois created a buzz inside the stadium early.

The Pylon tournament in Dallas saw Morris and Brown atop the list of performers again, whence Mike Roach remarked “Morris was a reliable chain mover all day.”

Sometimes he’d wow multiple camps in a day, such as when he hit Pylon Chicago in the morning:

was a great target for McCarthy and BOOM. He had a really nice diving touchdown in the showdown with Fast during elimination play and made several other big catches for his team throughout the tournament.

…and the Stack Sports Regional Showcase in the afternoon.

Morris came to the event, turned in a Top 10 overall rating, and then went through a full workout. His routes are excellent, easily the most smooth on the day, and he catches everything thrown his way.

Size issues. So yeah, the “but…” with Morris has almost universally been the fact that he isn’t very tall, with a body type that would make my mother give him my plate. This was last June:

“Honestly, I’m trying to get bigger and stronger for next year because weight is something I think I’m a little behind in," Morris told 247Sports’s [analyst Sean] Bock. "I’ve been focusing on that. Besides that, one of my biggest things is being the best route runner I can be…

And May to a PSU guy:

"I know I’m on the smaller side for a receiver but I really feel like I can still go up and get the ball when I need to," Morris said. "My size doesn’t hold me back with anything. I’m explosive and really aim to be the best route runner in the country. I think when it comes down to it I make plays and am always ready to compete."

ND reporter Kevin Sinclair said Morris “stacked on 15 pounds of muscle since his sophomore year” suggesting takes from back when Morris was 15 years old might be a little outdated. Sinclair also described that 15-year-old as having the maturity and route running of someone twice his age:

He’s a tremendous student, he’s all business, and he’s beyond his years from the standpoint of intelligence and maturity.

Watching Morris run routes and leap, twist, and extend for footballs, there’s an incredibly smooth way about him. If I was coaching high school wide receivers, I’d have them study Morris on film. Describing Morris as polished would understating how good-looking his routes and breaks are.

…and a little less height than reported, placing him at 5-10 as of February. I also spoke to a defensive coordinator I know from the area, and who couldn’t convince Morris to come play cornerback. As a receiver he said Morris “is like too many Ohio State guys” is still growing, and will probably be up to 6-1/190 when he steps on the field at Michigan.

OFFERS

There are 27 listed on 24/7; it’s hard to tell if that list would have grown if Morris hadn’t narrowed his search mostly Midwest academics.

Michigan and Notre Dame were ahead most of the way, with Florida involved and Mizzou hanging around longer than you would think they were capable of, Penn State making a few runs, and Tennessee coming at him—or perhaps more accurately coming at Michigan—late. Wisconsin also got a virtual visit, one week after Morris was a last-minute addition to that recruits-organized weekend that ended in a Badger blowout.

Ultimately JJ was right:

“J.J. is always (talking about Michigan),” Morris laughingly said. “Every single time I get another offer, J.J. is like, ‘that doesn’t matter because you are coming with me to Michigan.’

And yes, a victorious Michigan-Notre Dame battle means we get to do a round of Tom Loy Explains:

I’m a little on the fence about the recruitment of Bolingbrook (Ill.) Nazareth Academy four-star receiver Tyler Morris. My 247Sports Crystal Ball has been on Michigan and I still feel the Wolverines have the edge here. His relationship with Josh Gattis is second to none and potentially playing with his good friend and former teammate JJ McCarthy is something that has always been appealing. Notre Dame is the next closest contender in this one and I think the Irish are a legitimate option, but I still think if the Fighting Irish can pull off a flip with four-star receiver Kaden Saunders from Penn State, Morris likely lands elsewhere. My confidence in the pick remains a 6 out of 10.

This has been Tom Loy Explains. Hope you flip that slot, man.

HIGH SCHOOL

Morris and McCarthy have been connecting since they were kids, and played together for two years at Nazareth, until their third was pushed back and JJ had to bail for IMG Academy. Wiltfong had a succinct description of their time together:

Morris has shined with current Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy on the prep level. They played together on Friday nights his first two seasons and had a big sophomore year with over 1,200 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns. They also suited up together for years on the Midwest Boom roster, one of the premier 7on7 organizations and training grounds in the country. No question those two have chemistry.

Michigan has several targets from the BOOM team, including 2023 WR targets Carnell Tate, who joined McCarthy at IMG, and Malik Elzy of Simeon; 2023 top-100 T Miles McVay, 2024 WR l’Marion Stewart, and very tall 2022 WR Carter Sessa, younger brother of even taller Michael. Other Midwest Boom/Michigan alumni include Ty Isaac and Scott Sypniewski.

The Nazareth Academy Roadrunners play in the 7A league (second-highest) of Illinois, and made it to the 7-A state final in 2019. A delayed 2020 season finally began in late March of this year, after their first game was canceled, with blowouts over St. Laurence and De La Salle, followed by consecutive shutout losses, the latter with Morris limited/sidelined with a torn ACL.

Before Morris and McCarthy, the school’s top prospect was another BOOM alumni, CB Julian Love (2016), a ND-Michigan battle that went the Irish’s way. Several other D-I prospects fled last year when the season was pushed back, including 2021 DE Ryan Keeler (Rutgers) WR Tanner Koziol (Ball State), and TE Landon Morris (Syracuse).

STATS

Morris had 22 catches for 419 yards and 3 TDs as an undersized freshman in 2018. His sophomore year, with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback, Morris put up 68 receptions, 1,237 yards, and 17 touchdowns in 14 games. He missed Nazareth’s last game with a torn ACL, which may have moved up his commitment timeline, and probably ended his season.

FAKE 40 TIME

Hudl lists a 4.6, along with a 4.2 shuttle, a 36-inch vertical, and a 11.5 100-meter dash. I don’t know what to do with this because I believe all 40 times are FAKE but here’s a guy at least one site praises for his speed who ran what a very fast human actually runs. One FAKE out of five.

VIDEO

With his junior season still young so here are sophomore highlights:

Junior and freshman highlights and single-game reels can be found on his Hudl page. There’s also workout clips, Pylon clips, and Rivals video titled “Tyler Morris is SMOOTH!”

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

If you’ve watched a lot of Detroit Lions football you knew what I meant by Golden Tate, the extremely reliable favorite target of Matt Stafford who broke tackles at a prodigious rate and owned the 4th quarter. If you aren’t a Lions follower, congratulate yourself for making good and healthy choices, then think back to the Michigan-Notre Dame battles when Tate routinely put poor damn Thomas Gordon in a blender.

The comps to OSU 5-star Garrett Wilson and every Ohio State slot receiver before that are apt as well, however Morris doesn’t seem to do it with pure speed as much as polish. While Gattis has been accumulating all sorts of guys who can take the top off a defense, Morris is the first guy since Ronnie Bell who really projects as a go-to underneath receiver. You’ve seen this work at Northwestern, Ohio State, and every NFL team of the 2010s. Morris is the kind of guy who can get 15 targets a game and turn those into 11 first downs and 200 yards.

Ideally, Morris will arrive on campus early (he hasn’t mentioned such plans to date), rekindle his mind meld with J.J. McCarthy, and finally give #SpeedInSpace an offense they can hang their hats on for the first time since “Onwenu Smash” was an option. Ronnie Bell could conceivably return in 2022; once he’s gone, absent Xavier Worthy, Morris is the most likely guy to inherit Bell’s receiver-H role, with Cornelius Johnson, Roman Wilson, Andrel Anthony, Cristian Dixon, and classmate Tay’shawn Trent more pure outside guys. Morris could certainly battle any of them for outside duties as well.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

It’s up to two wide receivers for two very different roles. Morris going blue gives Michigan a better shot to complete the Chicago Triad with their top slot target, 4.5* IL ATH Kaleb Brown. That would be a huge victory indeed, with Ohio State putting on the full-court press and Alabama getting more involved lately. Brown, who plays for St. Rita when not on the BOOM 7-on-7 squad, is an electric talent often comped to Gattis’s original Chicagoland speedster, AJ Henning.

Michigan’s also in the running for Nico-esque OR 4* WR Darrius Clemons, who grew up with Andrel Anthony in East Lansing before moving out west, and has been in contact with a few other slot types in case they miss on Brown.

Michigan’s seventh commitment, and second in the Composite Top 100, also pushed them up to #16 in the composite rankings. Given Alabama (12th) is currently six spots behind Rutgers, those rankings probably don’t matter much at this point. Notre Dame is currently fourth, headlined by former top Michigan linebacker target Joshua Burnham and SDE target Tyson Ford, but no top-100 types. The schools are battling for Illinois’s next-best prospect, 4* LB Sebastian Cheeks, and may also finish 1-2 for exploding Arizona CB Benjamin Morrison.