ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Much of the spring hype centered around freshman wide receiver Salesi Moa for Michigan football, but there's another freshman who is starting to make waves at the same position. Travis Johnson was named by Savion Hiter as the fastest player on the team after the spring game, and receiver Jaime Ffrench echoed that during fall camp. The Wolverines' social media has highlighted Johnson a few times during camp, indicating that he very well could be a part of this year's team as it pertains to on-field results. And his position coach is liking what he's seeing from the first year wideout. On Monday, receivers coach Micah Simon discussed why Johnson appears to be a part of the discussion now with just over two weeks to go before the 2026 season. Noting that he's in the mix for that third wide receiver position, Simon believes it's Johnson's versatility that is allowing him to make waves during season preparation. "Yeah, he is, like you said, he's a fast player, but he's super athletic," Simon said. "A basketball background -- he was a great hoops player in high school. And you see that on the field, the way he can attack the ball in the air. And he moves very fluid. So that's great things that he's shown thus far. "And just like him and Salesi, the growth that those two have had from spring to now, I mean, it's second to none. Like the steps they've made over the summer has been awesome to see. And they're continually getting better each day."
Whether it's Johnson or Moa, both receivers are expected to be counted upon this season. Just because they're true freshmen is no longer an excuse, Simon says. Because of the changing nature of the game, first-year players not only want to get on the field, but staffs are more inclined to get them ready to go earlier. "Yeah, very realistic," Simon said. "We recruit to play guys as freshmen. I mean, it's a new age of college football. You don't have time to just bring a guy in and try to redshirt him and develop him for later. Every kid wants to graduate early, so you have the time to develop him. And that's my philosophy, and that's our philosophy offensively and just us as a team and with Coach Whitt. So, I definitely see those two being ready to go this season." Fall camp will continue for another week and a half before Michigan switches gears to game week, with eyes on the September 5 season opener against Western Michigan. This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Why Michigan football freshman Travis Johnson is shining in fall camp