Semaj J. Morgan (born May 6, 2005) is an American

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

for the

Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except wo ...

. He won a

national championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...

in 2023.

Early life

Morgan was born on May 6, 2005, in West Bloomfield, Michigan, the son of Semaj and Erika Morgan. He played high school football at

West Bloomfield High School West Bloomfield High School is a public school (government funded), public high school in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, West Bloomfield, Michigan. The school is the only public high school in the West Bloomfield School District. The Scho ...

, from 2019 to 2022, playing wide receiver, safety and kick returner. His first head coach at West Bloomfield was

Ronald Bellamy Ronald Bellamy (born December 28, 1981) is an American college football coach and former wide receiver. He is the wide receivers coach for the University of Michigan, first joining the staff in 2021. Bellamy played college football for the Michig ...

, who would also 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 Donovan Edwards (born February 25, 2003) is an American professional football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, winning three consecutive Big Ten Co ...

. 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. He was rated as a four-star prospect, and the No. 10 prospect in Michigan by Rivals. He received scholarship offers from 20 Division I football programs, including Michigan, Ole Miss, Missouri, West Virginia, Purdue and Maryland.

College career

Freshman season (2023)

Morgan enrolled early at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

in January 2023. In his freshman season, he appeared in all 15 games for the Wolverines as a

return specialist A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another positio ...

and

slot receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense, WR gets its name from the player being split ...

, winning a

. 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 Jonathan James McCarthy (born January 20, 2003) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected tenth overall by the Vikings in the 2024 NFL dra ...

against Rutgers on September 23. 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 Blake Nolan Corum (born November 25, 2000) is an American professional football running back and kickoff returner for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He was a two-time All-American playing college football for the Mic ...

. In the

2024 Rose Bowl The 2024 Rose Bowl (officially known as the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the 2024 Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential for sponsorship reasons) was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2024, at the Rose Bowl (stadium), Ro ...

, 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. 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.

Sophomore season (2024)

In 2024, Morgan stepped into a larger role as a leader and first-string wide receiver, following the departures of Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson. He changed his jersey from No. 82 to No. 0 before the start of fall camp. In week two against

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, Morgan had a 31-yard touchdown reception, totaling five catches for 45 yards. In 2024, he played in 11 games and had 27 receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown, adding 32 rushing yards and 100 punt return yards. Morgan was an All-Big Ten honorable mention for a consecutive season as a sophomore.

References

External links

Michigan Wolverines bio

Semaj J. Morgan Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Semaj 2005 births Living people American football wide receivers Michigan Wolverines football players Sportspeople from West Bloomfield, Michigan Players of American football from Oakland County, Michigan