Soup Campbell shares insights on Michigan football's 2025 wide receiver corps

USA Today

28-05-2025

Soup Campbell shares insights on Michigan football's 2025 wide receiver corps
The Michigan football pass game was beyond abysmal last year, with the fourth-worst attack in the country, ahead of only the service academies, while also having the worst aerial assault in terms of yards per attempt in all of college football. Thus, Sherrone Moore looked at the status quo and changed things considerably.
While the hire of Chip Lindsey from North Carolina as the new offensive coordinator and the recruitment of quarterback Bryce Underwood are what generates the most headlines, there was something of an unheralded hire that flies a bit under the radar -- bringing Erik 'Soup' Campbell back to Ann Arbor.
Campbell was a former defensive back for the maize and blue who turned out to be, perhaps, Michigan's best wide receivers coach in program history. He oversaw eight straight 1,000-yard receivers in his tenure, which coincided entirely with the Lloyd Carr era in Ann Arbor. With greats such as David Terrell, Tai Streets, Braylon Edwards, Jason Avant, and Mario Manningham, it was almost a certainty that Michigan was going to have elite pass catchers on the roster.
Times are much different now, but Campbell joined the staff to assist one of his former receivers, current coach Ron Bellamy, as working with the group.
What made those receivers so good?
On Wednesday, Campbell appeared on the In the Trenches Podcast with Jon Jansen and shared why he was able to consistently manage to coax 1,000-yard seasons out of his players. After all, not everyone listed above was a star coming out of high school (Campbell notes that Braylon Edwards only had a few MAC offers at the time of his commitment).
It turns out, it's not athletic ability, it's not hands or route running. Really, what set his players apart was the ability to work hard and outwork those around them.
"Well, I think the work ethic," Campbell said. "First of all, all of the guys worked during the offseason, and during the season, they worked. They also wasn't selfish. Those guys were also, the eight, probably the best blockers we ever had during that time. They always led the team and everything else. But so-called being unselfish, meaning playing without the ball, too. And they knew they don't get theirs, but they also play without it and played hard and played for the team. So things happen, and we also have fortunate, great quarterbacks during our time."
Of course, the aforementioned attributes help. But even in recent memory, players like Roman Wilson excelled not just because he was fast and had good hands, but also because he was a willing blocker and showed constant tenacity in his position.
What Campbell sees from the current group
Campbell has been back in Ann Arbor for a few months now and he's excited to work with what the Wolverines have on the roster right now.
The closest to a 1,000-yard receiver that Michigan has comes via the transfer portal, either with former Indiana quarterback-turned-wideout Donaven McCulley -- who showed out in the spring game -- or summer addition, UMass receiver Anthony Simpson.
Though no one is writing home about the wide receiver roster in Ann Arbor across college football, Campbell thinks that Michigan has the building blocks of a solid receiver corps.
"Talented group," Campbell said. "I think this group is a bunch of underachievers who the sky's gonna be the limit for them, and see how the season goes. And I think we have the talent to make some things happen."
That said, there are a few things that Campbell insists should help out this unheralded receiver group this year. But there are also a few things that they'll need to do to raise the floor so that the pass game truly reaches another level.
"Coach Lindsey coming in as a coordinator. I think also having the quarterbacks we have -- brought new quarterbacks in," Campbell said. "So those things are gonna help the receivers. And then we brought some talented guys in here, too, to help us in that group. And I think those guys, the ones we brought in, are gonna show that their reason why they came here. And I think that's what happens to receiver groups. You just start to get one or two guys to make the difference, and then it's contagious, and more happens after that."
Michigan is expected to start McCulley, Semaj Morgan, and Fredrick Moore, but Simpson, Channing Goodwin, Kendrick Bell, Peyton O'Leary, Jamar Browder, and Andrew Marsh should all be heavily involved in rotation this year. Campbell most recently oversaw the receiver room at Bowling Green, working with fellow former Wolverine Scot Loeffler.