ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- All offseason last year, then-sophomore wide receiver Channing Goodwin had earned the nickname 'Mr. Reliable,' because he reportedly snagged just about every ball thrown his way. However, there's a difference between State Street and Main Street, and his practice acumen didn't quite translate into actual games.
Goodwin only got four games of starting under his belt before he lost his job to now-star wideout Andrew Marsh, who as a true freshman became the Wolverines' top receiving threat once all was written in the 2025 season. Now Marsh is the unquestioned WR1, but Goodwin is making waves in fall camp as someone who could be a key contributor, if not WR3, in 2026.
Drops were Goodwin's primary issue last season, and now that
he's a year removed from his woes, he's feeling like he's more ready to make good on his nickname than he was entering his second year in college football.
"I think just getting older and maturing more, having the game kind of slow down more," Goodwin said. "Obviously, everybody here you have to be talented to be here, so I think just getting more acclimated. And just the longer you're here, it kind of slows down for you, so I say that's the difference."
So what are he and his teammates doing to ensure that drops don't become an issue this year? After all, Michigan was one of the worst teams in the country in terms of dropped passes.
Goodwin says that they're all doing extra work to ensure that when the ball hits receivers in the hands, they'll come down with the catch.
"We're doing those extra jug work before and after practice all the time," Goodwin said. "And working all sorts of catch angles and contested catches and all that. So I think that's been helpful for sure."
As for Goodwin himself, given both his 2025 woes and the fact that he was stricken with an injury that kept him out in spring ball, he's had a little extra work to be in the fray. He appears to have risen back up the depth chart, but he's never really taken into account that he was falling out of the mix.
He had faith that, once healthy, now that he's had some time on task, he'd be able to rise back up the ranks within the wide receiver room.
"I don't know if it's how much about being the forgotten guy," Goodwin said. "I think just all of us working together as one unit and kind of one family has been helpful for sure. And just us as a whole, I think we'll be good for the team."
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Channing Goodwin aiming for breakout after 2025 drop struggles
