Jim Harbaugh believes the Michigan wide receiver corps can be ‘the best we’ve ever had’.

Michigan football checks in at No. 6 in the preseason AFCA Coaches Poll on Monday and a big reason why the Wolverines are close to cracking the top five is due to how much talent they return on the offensive side of the ball. Michigan lost some top defensive players from 2021 like Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo, Daxton Hill, Brad Hawkins, and Josh Ross.

But the Wolverines return every high-level skill player from 2021 on the offense, save for Hassan Haskins.

Jim Harbaugh was on the ‘In the Trenches’ podcast on Monday with Jon Jansen, and he addressed the state of the team. The head man for the Wolverines had a ton of positives to say about his team offensively and defensively, but one thing that stood out was the talk about the wide receiving corps.

The Wolverines return eight out of nine pass catchers that made an impact from 2021, the lone one being Daylen Baldwin. The Wolverines gained three high-level freshmen from the 2022 recruiting class, but the biggest addition for the 2022 college football season just may be a familiar player.

Ronnie Bell caught just one ball during the 2021 football season — that one reception went for 76 yards and a touchdown — before suffering a season-ending injury. But Jim Harbaugh says that Ronnie Bell is back and healthy. He says that Bell is doing something new every day that he didn’t know if he would be able to do after suffering that injury.

“Really excited,” says Harbaugh. “Every day, I think he does something that I might have been worried about. ‘Can I do that? Can I make this cut? Can I make this play? Can I leave my feet and make a catch and come down?’ And then, just yesterday, go up with another player. I think he went up with — I can’t remember who the DB might have been, I think it might have been DJ Turner — he went up with DJ Turner, who can get up. Ronnie can get up. And for Ronnie to come down with the defender with him. And then he did. I’ve never seen Ronnie in a better mood the rest of the practice because you know he was worried about that. He hadn’t done that yet since having the knee injury. He did it, he knows he can do it, and the rest of the practice his mind was very, very happy and clear.”

Sherrone Moore, who is now the co-offensive coordinator with Matt Weiss, shared similar sentiments about Bell on Sunday during his media availability. He says that Bell is back to looking like his old self again. That screams great news to Michigan fans.

“He’s been great, he’s been great,” said Moore. “Mindset’s been great, leadership qualities great and he looks like he’s his old self out there so he’s been outstanding.”

The one thing that should make Michigan fans extremely excited about is the fact that the Wolverines have 15 viable options, at least according to Harbaugh. The Wolverines have had plenty of good receivers come thru Ann Arbor, and some really, really good ones since Harbaugh has been coaching. But Harbaugh believes that this year’s group may just be the best he has ever had in Ann Arbor, and he thinks the receivers will be better than last year.

“It’s got the license and the ability to be the best that we’ve ever had, better than last year,” Harbaugh shared. “Because they’re all back. Ronnie Bell’s back — he only played for one half last year. Cornelius Johnson, outstanding. A.J. Henning, outstanding. Andrel Anthony, outstanding. You talk about the great group of young guys, but it’s top-to-bottom, all 15 are really, really good.”

Harbaugh went on talking about a few new additions to the team, like new fifth-year walk-on Zach Peterson. But he also mentioned Roman Wilson, who statistically became the Wolverines’ top wide-out during the last five games of the season. He says that Wilson is looking the best he has ever looked.

“Added a fifth-year walk-on player, Zach Peterson, very, very, very good,” said Harbaugh. “Rolapp, Thaw, Eamonn Dennis doing some things — I think he could really be a factor on special teams, as well. Roman Wilson has looked better than he ever has. He is having a tremendous start to camp. Fabulous player. And they’re going up against some good DBs. DJ Turner, when he goes to run a 40, it could be sub-4.3. And Roman Wilson is right there with him. Those two run very, very similarly, close together.”

While it might be hard to find playing time for the new three freshmen with the loaded receiving group that Michigan has, Harbaugh believes that all three will play in 2022. He says that Tyler Morris, Amorion Walker, and Darrius Clemons are all practicing well, and while they may make mistakes, he predicts that all three will see the field and be productive this upcoming season.

“The three freshmen are really good,” said Harbaugh. “Tyler Morris did some great things, Darrius Clemons, Amorion Walker. They were all here in the spring, they had great springs. And the difference between now and spring is it’s every day now. It’s every day, it’s not that spring where you get every day in between, or two days sometimes, where you get to watch your tape to really study the installs. Now they’re coming like they’re gonna come in the season, it’s every day.”

“So far, so good. It’s harder on them. A few more mistakes being made, but it’s really early in camp and the prediction that all three of them will play and contribute as freshmen are right on track.”

The Wolverines should be able to run the ball as effectively as they did in 2021 with the return of Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, plus a loaded offensive line. But the Michigan offense could become one of the best, not only in the Big Ten but the entire country if the receivers are as good as advertised.

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What Jim Harbaugh said about Michigan football fall camp on ‘In the Trenches’

Story originally appeared on Wolverines Wire