Portal Out: Andrel Anthony
In perhaps the most significant transfer out of the 2022-23 Michigan Football offseason, sophomore WR Andrel Anthony is departing the program:
THANK YOU MICHIGAN.
— Andrel Anthony Jr. (@andrel_jr) January 5, 2023
GO BLUE FOREVER💙
1. pic.twitter.com/xUZufbwMae
The sophomore receiver appeared in all fourteen games this season for the Wolverines, recording seven catches for 80 yards and one touchdown. This was a step down from his freshman season statline of twelve catches for 248 yards and three touchdowns, a development that led to discussion in the fanbase. After playing miniscule roles in the key games of the season, he is gone.
Anthony arrived at Michigan out of rival East Lansing, a 3* prospect just outside the top 500 of the 247 composite. He was a lanky 6'2", known for his leaping and admired for potential star retriever traits. Michigan took Anthony and Cristian Dixon as their receiver crop in the 2021 recruiting class (Xavier Worthy was once in this group) and of these two, it was Anthony that had the authors of this site most excited. Seth did the recruiting profiles that year and was enamored with Anthony, comparing him to Roy Roundtree (but Tall) and naming him the vaunted SLEEPER OF THE YEAR.
Anthony was an early enrollee in the spring of 2021 and got plenty of spring buzz which preceded Seth's praise. As the 2021 season got going, Anthony was not featured much until midway through the year, when suddenly he made his presence known against his hometown Spartans:
That was Anthony's first career catch(!), a 93 yarder for a score that made us say "oh, this is a thing". Then he found the end zone again:
Anthony had six catches for 155 yards and 2 TDs and had Michigan won that game, Anthony would've been the #1 hero. Even the catches that didn't count had Braylon vibes:
That game made us believe that a star had been born, but liftoff didn't quite follow. Anthony was still buried on the WR chart and he accomplished the rather remarkable feat of having exactly one (1) catch in every single game the rest of the season. There were some tough moments peppered in, including a semi-drop on a deep ball against Ohio State that Anthony alllllmost had, but the potential was still there, as we saw in his TD against Georgia from JJ:
He got a +3 for the route in UFR. Given that it is MGoBlog policy that Freshman Receivers Suck, many assumed that 2022 would bring a huge jump in Andrel Anthony's level of play, but that's where things take a negative turn of sorts. Not just did Anthony fail to take a step forward, in many ways, he seemingly regressed. His stat line was a decrease in catches, yards, and TDs, and he didn't have a "moment" the way he did against MSU in 2021. Anthony appeared in every game, but got a catch in only six of them and had more than one catch in just one contest. In fact, he had just one catch after the bye week, a 7 yard reception vs. Rutgers. He did record a touchdown against Nebraska, for falling on a loose ball in the end zone that Ronnie Bell fumbled:
The disappearance of Anthony was rather mysterious and when given an opportunity to make plays, he didn't make them. McCarthy threw him a beautiful ball against Illinois that was a game-changing touchdown if caught, and Anthony could not make the grab. Not that other receivers didn't have drops, but Anthony's usage was not high and when given an opportunity to change the narrative, he failed to seize the moment. To that point, in our charting, Anthony had two drops on "routine" balls, tied for the team lead. But here's the catch (hehe, pun): Cornelius Johnson's two drops were across 22 routine balls. Bell's were across 42. Anthony's were over 8 balls. Likewise he was 0/1 on "tough" balls and 0/1 on "circus". Some opportunities were given, and not enough plays were made to warrant more Andrel Anthony this season.
Still, your author and many Michigan fans had high hopes for Andrel Anthony going into 2023, if he could figure out whatever the issue was. Now it appears he will be figuring it out at a different school. Anthony will have two years of eligibility + the possibility to redshirt wherever he goes. One could wonder what this says about both the status of the incumbent receivers, as well as those below Anthony on the age chart. Ronnie Bell is out the door, Roman Wilson is expected to return as a senior, but Cornelius Johnson has the opportunity to use his COVID-shirt to return. Does Anthony's departure say anything about Johnson's decision? Moreover, it could indicate that Anthony may be passed on the depth chart by the likes of Darrius Clemons or Amorion Walker, who are Class of 2022 players finishing their freshmen seasons. Clemons in particular is one to watch, as his friendship with Anthony was a large factor in his recruitment.
Michigan will be looking to get a bit more from their WR room next season, and unfortunately Anthony will not be a part of it. We will always have the memory of his 2021 MSU performance, even if that game outcome is a bit sour to look back on. That said, it's hard to look at Anthony's time in Ann Arbor and not have a slight feeling of "what could've been". Hopefully he will reach those lofty dreams somewhere else and we wish him the best. There is no content after the jump.
January 5th, 2023 at 9:07 AM ^
Sigh.
January 5th, 2023 at 9:16 AM ^
Good luck at whatever message board you transfer to.
January 5th, 2023 at 10:13 AM ^
Post of the day
January 5th, 2023 at 10:37 AM ^
I think about this when ever there is a coaching change. There were so many Hoke handles that I felt bad for them. Also, there are so many Harbaugh handles currently that might be obsolete in the next couple weeks.
I can't talk of course, because I could easily move away from the Windy City.
January 5th, 2023 at 2:20 PM ^
The original BTB my name and avatar references no longer exists. Now it’s just a part of Charleys.
January 5th, 2023 at 10:42 AM ^
I'll miss you guys but thems the rules
January 5th, 2023 at 9:18 AM ^
"Michigan will be looking to get a bit more from their WR room next season,"
Where does this statement come from? We don't even know who's going to be coaching the team, fergodsake! Harbaugh has no taste for the pass game - because it necessarily comes at the cost of his run game. He apparently has no use for a passing game coordinator that understands modern passing architectures, nor has the desire to mix them into his run offense. Jettisoning Gattis is understandable, but replacing him with run oriented Sherrone Moore and more run oriented Matt Weiss, while great for the run game, was detrimental to the pass game.
Is this from hope born out of the OSU and TCU (second half) games? Those were reactionary measures against defenses that (actually, finally) stopped his run game. I would like the statement to be true, but I see no indication whatsoever that it has any basis in truth...
January 5th, 2023 at 9:53 AM ^
(Stares in 3 TD passes in the game) what
January 5th, 2023 at 9:57 AM ^
Huh?
January 5th, 2023 at 9:56 AM ^
Jettisoning Gattis is understandable, but replacing him with run oriented Sherrone Moore and more run oriented Matt Weiss, while great for the run game, was detrimental to the pass game.
2021 (14 games)
Team Passing: 228.7 yds/gm, 1.5 td/gm, 8.6 1st downs/gm
QB1: 2576 yds, 15 td, 6 int
Overall: 35.8 pts/gm (16th), 443.1 yds/gm
2022 (14 games)
Team Passing: 219.9 yds/gm, 1.7 td/gmA, 9.3 1st downs/gm
QB1: 2719 yds, 22 td, 5 int
Overall: 40.4 pts/gm (6th), 458.8 yds/gm
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/michigan/2021.html
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/michigan/2022.html
January 5th, 2023 at 10:01 AM ^
Interesting stats - I stand corrected on the "detrimental" thing! It did not feel that way to me...
Nonetheless, I'll stand by the gist of my comment and the question I asked - where does that statement come from? With no change between 2021 and 2022 in the pass game, why would we expect more from it next year? I don't expect Harbaugh to change an approach that is now 25-3, and could very well be 27-1 and looking for more.
January 5th, 2023 at 10:15 AM ^
It feels like a fundamental misreading to interpret "looking to get more from the WR room" to mean "shift the offensive philosophy."
There were numerous occasions where Michigan wanted or even needed to throw downfield this year, but had middling results because wide receivers either couldn't get separation, or couldn't bring in contested catches. Some of that has been papered over by excellent TE play, but it puts a cap on the passing game's effectiveness. We don't have to throw downfield 10 more times per game; we need the wide receivers to make 3 or 4 more plays within the opportunities they have.
January 5th, 2023 at 10:33 AM ^
This is agree with! It's something we (probably) all agree with.
I'm not looking for a change in philosophy - most of my post is explaining that Harbaugh is not going to change his strategy. But I did take the statement, as written, as meaning we expected more out of the passing game itself (which may be a fundamental misreading?), which is slightly different than expecting more out of the WR group.
However, not sure we can expect more out of the WR's if nothing changes. Maybe just different players?
January 5th, 2023 at 10:15 AM ^
The most important stats are wins.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:00 AM ^
Wait, what?
January 5th, 2023 at 9:21 AM ^
To the subject at hand - good luck to Andrel wherever he goes. I really wish it would have worked out better for him here, but it seems like the ending his playing time was coming at a pretty quick pace for him. Tyler Morris was taking snaps from him against OSU and TCU, and that could not be a good sign for him.
January 5th, 2023 at 9:26 AM ^
Bummer. Anthony had potential but it didn't happen here. I can only wish him luck and hope this means the other WRs are returning/progressing.
January 5th, 2023 at 9:33 AM ^
Are there rumblings that Clemons is a potential transfer, too? The write up says he is one to watch, too. Is pure speculation based on his relationship with Andrel or are there insiders saying that he could leave? It seems like he’s in line to get significant targets next year (no matter who the coach is).
January 5th, 2023 at 9:56 AM ^
This was a question for me, too. What exactly does "one to watch" mean? Watch for the portal, or watch next year?
January 5th, 2023 at 10:55 AM ^
That was definitely expressed in a confusing manner.
For what it's worth, MJ14--who seems pretty connected with the program--claimed in the board thread on Anthony that Clemons has no plans for transferring and should be getting a big bump in playing time next year.
January 5th, 2023 at 9:58 AM ^
I can't complain about the offensive production the past 2 seasons but I do understand why a WR would want to transfer.Roughly 42 runs per game 26 passes over the last 2 seasons.Most pass attempts to TE & Slot.Bell 62 receptions ,Roman & Cornelius combined for 57.Good luck to #1.Given the philosophy on offense it's going to he difficult to hang on to all of the talented WR's we have.
January 5th, 2023 at 10:16 AM ^
Completely agree since the staff prefers 2 TE sets he probably wouldn't even "start" assuming CJ returns. And Morris would've definitely pushed him for snaps as the 3rd receiver since Morris is a more natural slot.
January 5th, 2023 at 12:05 PM ^
He was falling down to the bottom of the depth chart, that's why he transferred.
January 5th, 2023 at 10:15 AM ^
I said this in the other thread that I wish him the best but that MSU game seriously distorted expectations for him. He pulled a Ricky White and while he may be successful elsewhere (see White at UNLV) the fact he struggled this year catching the ball despite UM clearly wanting to keep improving maybe just points to a one-off great game by him and not necessarily the sign of a future superstar.
January 5th, 2023 at 10:48 AM ^
I didn't think he'd disappear from the depth chart, but it was funny how many people here kept talking about "Where's Anthony?" like the coaches had benched Braylon. It's like all the comments about Welschof before the season. People couldn't understand why none of the insider talk mentioned him. Well, he's not that good.
January 5th, 2023 at 12:47 PM ^
My guess is he'll be a solid upperclassman receiver at a smaller school, and I wish him luck. But he was barely inside the top 600 players when he signed and a lot of those guys are just sort of "guys" in college and don't turn into more than that. He may have just had a great game against a terrible defense and had he spread those catches out a bit more (I think his next-best day catching the ball was 2 catches for like 45 yards) people probably wouldn't have expected so much of him.
January 5th, 2023 at 1:12 PM ^
I doubt he goes to a smaller school. I see from his twitter account that he’s already received offers from Miami, South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Pitt.
January 5th, 2023 at 1:22 PM ^
Would be cool if he landed there but you also have to be careful you aren't just transferring to a place where you'll be on the bench there as well. Miami makes the most sense because of the Gattis connection. I'd stay away from Pitt given the fact that they had one year of elite offense and Narduzzi basically kicked Whipple out and then fielded an offense that threw the ball only a couple more times than Michigan did.
January 5th, 2023 at 1:47 PM ^
Agreed, he could really be a star at a MAC school or somewhere like Louisiana. But with those offers I doubt he goes there. Miami could use all the help they can get and I could see him fitting in with Oklahoma’s offense.
January 5th, 2023 at 10:17 AM ^
More importantly, the word is "minuscule," not "miniscule."
The Michigan Arrogance Difference
January 5th, 2023 at 10:50 AM ^
Random etymology fact I was surprised I hadn't learned until a few days ago: "goodbye" comes from "God be with ye (you)".
January 5th, 2023 at 10:37 AM ^
I hate the damn portal.
January 5th, 2023 at 10:39 AM ^
Was bound to happen with the lack of wr targets throughout the year but still sad. If Johnson comes back with Roman Wilson should still be a solid room.
January 5th, 2023 at 10:41 AM ^
It sounds like Andrel is one of those low floor high ceiling recruits that make up large portions of Michigan's recruiting classes. For every Ronnie Bell there is an Andrel Anthony. His decreased playing time could have something to do with Ronnie Bell returning from his ACL injury. I wish him the best with his future and appreciate his contributions to Michigan football.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:09 AM ^
It's going to take a while for me to feel comfortable with the new world of college football free agency. First year transfer eligibility, NIL, taking huge classes (30+ kids). I'm not saying it's all bad. I'm saying it's a brave new world and we should just expect a ton of transfers both in and out every year if it keeps going like this.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:11 AM ^
Arrrrrrrrgh.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:43 AM ^
This one stings for sure. My immediate thoughts:
- We lose 94 catches from Bell and CJ....where are they going?? Literally no other non-Wilson WR on the roster caught more than 3 balls. How do you make up for that?
- AA didn't make the most of his opportunities for sure....but how many did he actually get? How many targets did he have this year....less than 20? 15?
- I realize we had three good starting WR and it makes sense to lean into them. But I think we should have made more of an effort to get Anthony (or any other WR) more targets throughout the year.
- The RB/TE based offense we have run is great and I don't want to change (in fact, give me a FB please!) but the consequence is likely having a harder time attracting big time WR.
- I do wonder where Anthony thinks he's going to go where the path to catches will be better. He's leaving a team with a star returning QB (hard to find) and who loses their top two WR. We don't pass as much as a lot of teams, but our passes have to go to someone. Clemons? Morris?
January 5th, 2023 at 12:00 PM ^
That is the thing that doesn't make sense on the surface. Bell is definitely done. The line will be good and they will certainly work on passing and as a returning player, who has seen the field regularly, should 2023 by his year to really make the next move up?
January 5th, 2023 at 12:43 PM ^
I do think they tried to get the ball to Anthony this year when he was out there but in this offense you do need to be able to block AND catch the ball when thrown to you and Anthony struggled in both those areas. I got on Johnson a bunch this year but he was a good blocker in the running game which is a big reason his spot was never really challenged and so he was out there when UM needed him in big spots. Anthony wasn't terrible as a blocker but there was a step down and that, combined with the drops, likely pushed him further down the depth chart especially when you consider there were other young guys competing for similar limited snaps.
Michigan doesn't throw the ball a ton but them averaging 26 attempts a game and TCU averaging 30 and Georgia 33 doesn't strike me as such a vast difference that WRs would be turned off that much. And last year they averaged 28 attempts a game (more than Georgia) and about the same number as Tennessee. It's not like they're running the triple-option.
January 5th, 2023 at 3:09 PM ^
"I do wonder where Anthony thinks he's going to go where the path to catches will be better. "
We're #120 of 131 in pass/run ratio.
There were 60 individual QB's in FBS who threw more passes than our TEAM in 2022.
Almost anywhere he goes outside the service academies will target receivers way more.
January 5th, 2023 at 3:53 PM ^
- AA didn't make the most of his opportunities for sure....but how many did he actually get? How many targets did he have this year....less than 20? 15?
It was stated over in the board thread that through charting (which didn't include the UConn, Purdue, or TCU games) Anthony's target tally was at like 28. Now he definitely had a target, which he dropped, in the TCU game and I don't remember if he ever got targeted in the other two games. I think it's fair to round up to an even 30 as his final season tally. I mean, for a 4th-in-line sophomore WR who struggles with drops, blocking, and route running, 30 targets seems like plenty of opportunity to show the coaches anything positive for why you should be receiving more attention in the offense. I think you may have a distorted view of Anthony's capabilities based on the 2021 MSU game and are missing the forest for that lone tree.
January 5th, 2023 at 12:25 PM ^
Hopefully Clemons stays. It will be interesting to see who starts next year assuming Wilson and CJ are back.
Unless Walker puts on a of strength this offseason, still feel like he's a year away because in addition to his struggles producing, AA seemed to struggle to block as well (I think that blown screen from the 2 against TCU was partly on him). Probably will thrive in a more spread-oriented scheme that asks less of him as a blocker.
But getting back to original question, if Clemons is the best receiver (and camp reports indicated he was), do you move Wilson into the slot? He's looked comfortable there. Even though he's not the greatest route runner, that speed is difficult to contend with and he could be deadly on slot fades.
Alternatively, Tyler Morris made a couple of nice plays and looks polished for a young player. This was despite coming off an injury, so he may make a leap too. Wilson is capable of playing on the outside and they may prefer to deploy his field-stretching there while letting Morris work underneath.
This is of course not counting 2-TE sets and Edwards getting split out wide. Lot of options for this team. No matter what, I anticipate they will throw the ball more, especially with JJ in year 2 and quite a few mouths to feed downfield.
January 5th, 2023 at 12:30 PM ^
I'll guess he ends up at a decent P5 program. There's still enough promise there that I'm sure some coach that values WR blocking considerably less than Harbaugh will give him plenty of snaps
January 5th, 2023 at 12:48 PM ^
King of swag
January 5th, 2023 at 2:22 PM ^
I can watch those highlights all day! Thank you and good luck Andrel!
January 5th, 2023 at 4:51 PM ^
This one hurts
January 5th, 2023 at 6:15 PM ^
I don’t buy for a second that Bell and Johnson only had 2 routine drops each this season. That’s crazy talk.
January 6th, 2023 at 5:54 AM ^
Good luck to him. A 93-yd-TD as your first catch is a tough act to follow.
January 6th, 2023 at 10:55 AM ^
I would have loved to see him come back and compete for more time next year. He's a player with loads of talent and it's too bad that this season was not what he hoped for. Best of luck to Andrel wherever he ends up.
Comments