Fall camp is in full swing, as the Michigan Wolverines are less than three weeks away from the 2026 season opener. Position battles are continuing to take shape with practice heating up, and the race for WR3 appears to be a tight contest.
Michigan wide receivers Andrew Marsh and J.J. Buchanan are considered the top targets, followed by Jaime Ffrench, Channing Goodwin, and true freshmen Travis Johnson and Salesi Moa. Now, it’s just a matter of who will step up and seize the opportunity.
All four of
them have dynamic skillsets that will allow them to see the field and make an impact this year, but it’s hard to tell as of today who will start when the Wolverines kick off the season against Western Michigan on Sept. 5.
Michigan wide receivers coach Micah Simon explained what he’s looking for in the race for the final starting spot.
“It’s just about being dependable and trustworthy, and who can block when they’re asked to block. Just being able to win against man-to-man, sit in zones, be a smart football player and make plays,” Simon told the media on Monday. “It’s a good problem to have.”
Entering training camp, Ffrench was believed to be the frontrunner for WR3, but Johnson has been one of the standouts during fall camp. It certainly seems like he has a realistic opportunity to climb the depth chart before his freshman season begins.
“He’s a fast and super athletic player,” Simon said of Johnson. “He has a basketball background, and you can really see it on the field with the way that he attacks the ball in the air and how he moves very fluidly. He’s shown great things thus far.”
The former four-star recruit has impressed his coaches and teammates in recent weeks, from allegedly being the fastest player on the team to showcasing an elite catch radius. It’s difficult to predict of Johnson will start the season opener, but there’s no doubt he will eventually become an integral part of Michigan’s passing game. And it wouldn’t surprise anyone if that came sooner rather than later.
Johnson isn’t the only freshman to jump out in fall practice, as Moa has turned some heads as well.
“The growth that those two freshmen have had from spring to now is second to none,” Simon said. “The steps that they both made over the summer have been so awesome to see, and they’re continuing to get better each and every day.”
Simon also said it’s “very realistic” to expect Johnson and Moa to make an instant impact this season.
“We recruit to play guys as freshmen,” Simon said. “You don’t always have time to just bring a guy in and try to redshirt him and develop him for later, so I definitely see both of those guys being ready to go this year.”
Despite not being talked about as much as the other receivers, Goodwin has also impressed the coaching staff and is very much in contention for WR3. Goodwin was sixth on the team with 148 receiving yards and 12 receptions in 2025.
“The whole staff is seeing Goodwin for the first time in fall camp because he was out (with an injury) in the spring, so we’re seeing what he brings to the table,” Simon said. “He’s been awesome. He brings a veteran presence to a really young room.”
The ongoing battle for WR3 will likely come down to the final week of fall camp, but the Wolverines are in a great spot with several explosive, hard-working and talented wide receivers to choose from.
