Here’s the scoop on 77 former Michigan Wolverines players, how their 2025 went, and where they are for 2026.
FORMER PLAYERS
Raheem Anderson, C (Western Michigan): Anderson concluded his college football career by becoming an All-MAC center for the Broncos in 2025.
Andrel Anthony, WR (Duke): Anthony concluded his college football career by catching 26 passes for 246 yards and 5 touchdowns for the Blue Devils in 2025. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons.
Devon Baxter, DE (Virginia): Baxter is a 6’6″, 247 lb. redshirt sophomore for his first season at Virginia.
Jeremiah Beasley, LB (Missouri): Beasley made 19 tackles and 1 forced fumble in 2025 and is penciled in as a backup linebacker for the 2026 season.
Josh Beetham, TE (Georgia Tech): Beetham started five games and played in all thirteen in 2025, making 6 catches for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns altogether.
Kechaun Bennett, DE (UCLA): Bennett transferred to UCLA for his final college season and made 25 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 quarterback hurry while playing in eleven games.
Christian Boivin, LB (Saginaw Valley State): Boivin transferred to Division II SVSU and made 105 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 1 forced fumble in 2025.
Tristan Bounds, OT (Arizona): Bounds started eight games for Arizona in 2025 and is expected to be the starting right tackle in 2026. He’s listed at 6’8″, 306 lbs. going into his sixth year.
Raheem Anderson, C (Western Michigan): Anderson is a backup lineman for Western Michigan.
Andrel Anthony, WR (Duke): Anthony did not record any stats in a 45-33 win over North Carolina State.
Jeremiah Beasley, LB (Missouri): Beasley made 1 tackle in a 29-20 win over South Carolina.
Kechaun Bennett, DE (UCLA): UCLA (0-3) had a bye after firing head coach Deshaun Foster. Bennett has 11 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and 1 quarterback hurry this year.
Tristan Bounds, OT (Arizona): Bounds is a starting offensive tackle for Arizona.
RETURNING PLAYERS: Peyton O’Leary (RS Sr.), Joe Taylor (RS Sr.), Amorion Walker (Sr.), Logan Forbes (RS Jr.), Fredrick Moore (Jr.), Semaj Morgan (Jr.), Kendrick Bell (RS So.), Channing Goodwin (RS Fr.), I’Marion Stewart (RS Fr.) NEWCOMERS: Donaven McCulley (RS Sr.), Anthony Simpson (RS Sr.), Andrew Marsh (Fr.), Jamar Browder (Fr.) DEPARTURES: C.J. Charleston (graduation), Tyler Morris (transfer to Indiana)
OUTLOOK:Â Michigan’s receivers did not have a banner year in 2024. Part of it may be a chicken-or-egg situation with the poor quarterback play: no receiver was going to have a great year with Davis Warren and Alex Orji throwing the ball, and not many quarterbacks were going to have great passing numbers throwing to what Michigan put out there at receiver. Tight end Colston Loveland led Michigan’s team in receptions (56), yards (548), and touchdowns (5). By comparison, the leading wideouts in each category were Semaj Morgan (27 catches), Tyler Morris (248 yards), and Morris again (2 touchdowns).
Morris headed for the greener pastures of, uh, Bloomington, Indiana, this off-season, so it’s a pretty complete overhaul of the receiving group. Morgan is back, but he had a measly 139 yards and a paltry 5.2 yards per catch. That’s not an indictment of Morgan’s talent, but Michigan’s overall inability to push the ball downfield, set up screens appropriately, and generally call an offense. I have more faith in new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey than the departed Kirk Campbell, so I expect Morgan to benefit significantly. But he has yet to prove that he can be a downfield threat.
The prize of Michigan’s transfer efforts at receiver is Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley, a 6’5″, 203 lb. possession guy who caught 48 passes for 644 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2023. While he doesn’t have a ton of downfield speed, he’s the type of big target with experience that Michigan lacked out wide in 2024. He can probably be penciled in as a starter this fall.
Other unknowns include the quick Fredrick Moore (11 catches, 148 yards, 1 TD in 2024), former walk-on and possession guy Peyton O’Leary (10 catches, 102 yards, 1 TD), former quarterback Kendrick Bell (7 catches, 70 yards), and reed-thin speedster Amorion Walker (3 catches, 34 yards). The most intriguing of those is Walker, who is 6’3″ and 182 lbs. Once penciled in as a starting cornerback by Jim Harbaugh – and briefly at Ole Miss in the spring of 2024 – he spent last year at receiver. If corners don’t get a hand on him, he can run real fast; if corners do get a hand on him, he can fall down real fast.
One of Lindsey’s tasks will be to figure out which veteran receiver can play a good-sized role in the offense and provide some help for some limited quarterbacks: QB Mikey Keene is limited by his stature, and QB Bryce Underwood is limited by his inexperience. But another task will be to figure out what roles can be played by freshman Andrew Marsh, incoming UMass transfer Anthony Simpson, and freshman Jamar Browder. Marsh comes in with some questions about his overall speed, but he reportedly finds a way to make things happen. Simpson is a bit of a screen and gadget guy, but he could be fun to watch. And Browder is a 6’3″ guy with some upside, but he’s probably somebody who needs to bake in the oven for at least a season.
Overall, Michigan has an array of pieces. While last season was similar at receiver to the 2023-2024 Michigan basketball team that got Juwan Howard fired because he couldn’t construct a roster, this year could be closer to the 2024-2025 Dusty May version of the basketball team: a well constructed squad probably lacking championship potential.
