LOS ANGELES — Semaj Morgan lost his love for football.
Two years removed from contributing to Michigan’s 2023 national championship as a freshman, Morgan had plateaued. Complacency, he admitted, creeped in. Morgan had never dropped passes before, but his confidence was shot. Bad habits plagued his approach to practice. He sulked. He lacked competitive energy. An undersized receiver who always outworked his peers and foes to gain an edge, he began to “look like everyone else.”
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“I was really just trying to get through the season,” the senior from Detroit told the Southern California News Group.
As turmoil uprooted culture in Ann Arbor, Morgan reacted how any 20-year-old might. A player who had shown promise unexpectedly declined. After growing up in the Big House’s shadow, and bringing a ring back to his hometown, his adoration for the game wavered.
Morgan’s love for football sparked while toddling the sidelines at West Bloomfield High School in Oakland County, Michigan. His father, Semaj Sr., a freshman-level coach, oversaw the local youth team, helping to keep kids “out of trouble” and create a bridge program to play for West Bloomfield.
Loyalty won out when Morgan chose Michigan. It paid off immediately, as he carved a role on a team flush with veterans. But when standards departed with those leaders, Morgan’s development stalled.
Since transferring to UCLA, he’s rediscovered his love for football. It shined through, as Morgan stepped up after injuries to his teammates, improving with each game and helping No. 7 UCLA throughout its 7-0 start.
‘A LEVEL OF COMFORT’
Zachary Hilbers often awaited the day he could build West Bloomfield’s offense around the boy who grew up around the program.
By his sophomore year, Morgan had gained enough trust for the Lakers’ head coach to call a trick play, in which Morgan threw a pass to the quarterback for the game-winning touchdown in the state semifinal.
“He’d been running around our program forever,” Hilbers told the SCNG. “We had a level of comfort with him that you don’t normally have with sophomores.”
After progressing throughout the season to help West Bloomfield win the 2021 MHSAA Division 1 Football State Championship, Morgan became the offense as a junior. But in his senior year, when the starting quarterback broke his hand, Morgan stepped up, sacrificing starring on the perimeter for his team.
The transition wasn’t difficult as Morgan was taught every position while learning the game. He combined that versatility with the work ethic any 5-foot-9 wide receiver must possess to succeed.
While playing quarterback as a senior, Morgan couldn’t put as many receiving reps on tape. Offers still flooded in, and Morgan ultimately committed to Michigan over Mississippi because he and his family believed the Wolverines could contend in his freshman season.
They were right.
NEVER SEEN BEFORE
Semaj Morgan Sr. never took for granted attending Michigan football’s practices, watching his son compete every day. He received a first-hand look at a national title-winning team. He witnessed the collective commitment required, and how his son bought in.
Those doors closed when head coach Jim Harbaugh left for the Chargers. One year later, when parents were allowed to return, Morgan barely recognized his son.
“I’ve never seen you walk on the field, bro,” he scolded.
As a freshman, Morgan had earned playing time because of his preparation and performance in the spring, the fall and practices throughout the season. He left Harbaugh no choice but to put him at slot receiver in spurts, and count on him for kick returns. But after coaching, scheme and culture changes swept across the program, he failed to build on that role.
“I felt like I lost my love for football,” Morgan said.
After a string of poor practices, his father observed, it was time to sit down.
“Man, never let nobody take your joy,” Semaj Sr. told his son.
He offered three pieces of advice, three actions Morgan could control: Have fun. Be competitive. Finish every rep.
After the season concluded, on their drive back from Michigan’s bowl game in Orlando, Morgan told his father he wanted to enter the transfer portal. Loyal to a fault, he struggled with the morality of leaving his local school.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re going to be at Michigan, or you’re going to be somewhere else next year,” Semaj Sr. replied. “If you’re going to take this type of effort into wherever you’re at, you’re going to be on the bench.”
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BECOMING A BRUIN
Colin Lockett arrived at UCLA from New Mexico on Jan. 2. With the college football transfer portal open, the Bruins’ new wide receivers coach dove into constructing his receiver room.
Returning defensive back Scooter Jackson came to Lockett’s office, informing him that a former 7-on-7 teammate was in the portal. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava had played with Morgan, too, and encouraged Lockett to pursue him.
“All right,” Lockett said. “Hit him right now.”
Jackson facetimed Morgan. He passed the phone to Lockett. Iamaleava and offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy each shared a word. Moments later, Lockett said, he was filling out paperwork for an official tour.
Morgan and his father arrived in Westwood three days later, landing late at night on Jan. 5. Lockett, Kennedy and six other coaches met them in the Luskin Hotel on campus for a meal.
“The energy was so high,” described Semaj Sr.
Morgan and the coaches discussed terminology, coverages, high-level football. They scrapped the presentation planned for the next morning.
“You trying to watch film right now?” Lockett asked.
“Yeah, come on,” Morgan replied.
So Lockett, Kennedy, Morgan and his father headed to the Wasserman Athletic Center at 11 p.m. Unsurprisingly, Bob Chesney was still in his office. Semaj Sr. had two questions for him: “Can I watch practice? Will you let my son be himself?”
“Absolutely, we need more dogs like (Semaj),” Chesney said.
“All right, my son can play football here,” Semaj Sr. relieved.
Lockett and Morgan proceeded to the film room.
“He had a whole cut up for me,” Morgan said. “He got stuff from my freshman year. He got stuff from my sophomore year. He got stuff from last year. Things I did good, things I did bad.”
“It was real proactive. I didn’t expect that.”
The next morning, they met in Chesney’s office. The head coach pitched him like he had everyone. Explaining that he chose UCLA over other programs because it was the “best place for him and his family.” He wasn’t, however, going to wait on Morgan.
Morgan and his father left the facility for their flight back to Michigan, and just before they boarded the plane, Morgan called Chesney and Lockett and committed to UCLA
TIME TO SHINE
Semaj Morgan Sr. worried his son might regress into his slump when he wasn’t UCLA’s clear-cut starting slot receiver.
“You got to come in and earn your spot, and even if you don’t earn your spot, you still got to be a leader, and still be a team player because you never know when your number is called,” he said.
When senior Mikey Mathews sustained a season-ending injury in the Bruins’ second game of the season against San Diego State, Morgan was ready. Channeling the energy he displayed when West Bloomfield’s starting quarterback went down his senior year, Morgan stepped up.
He hauled in six catches for 73 yards as UCLA turned a scoreless first half into a 28-10 victory over the Aztecs. Over the next three weeks, he remained a fixture of the offense, lining up inside and outside, running routes downfield and underneath. He tracked a pass thrown behind him, helping quarterback Ty Dieffenbach and ensuring the Bruins’ upset victory over Oregon. on Oct. 10.
THAT WINNING FEELING
Morgan didn’t hit a bump until Week 7. Studying Morgan’s past, Kennedy called a trick play on the first drive of the second half against Wisconsin. The Badgers disrupted the flow, smacking Morgan as he launched a pass to Landon Ellis, and intercepted it.
“Even though it was a bad play, I can’t just sit here and be mad about it all day,” Morgan said. “I can’t harp on that when we still got a game to win.”
He bounced back to haul in a 33-yard completion to seal UCLA’s 17-7 win.
Morgan had learned from each of his experiences with adversity – albeit larger on scale. But when Mathews went down and when he threw a pick, he wouldn’t allow those blips to disrupt his production, to steal his love for football.
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