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'He's starting to gain confidence': One year removed from ACL surgery, Indiana WR Tyler Morris starting to find his footing

headshotby: Alec Lasley04/11/26allasley

When Tyler Morris signed with Indiana a year ago, he was expected to play a significant role for an offense that was watching a few extremely productive slot receivers leave for graduation.

Just midway through the spring, that opportunity was turned away when an ACL injury sidelined him for the entire season.

Before the injury, he was in line to start in the slot for the Hoosiers. Now 12 months removed from his injury, he’s right back in that position and expected to play a major role for — once again — an Indiana offense that loses a lot at the receiver spot.

And his teammates and coaches are excited to get him back in the lineup for good.

“Just watching Tyler and the way he handled his rehab and the way he talks to all of us as receivers, like he was never just kind of like out of it, even when he was injured,” IU receiver Charlie Becker said on Thursday. “He was always trying to coach us up on where he saw stuff going wrong. He does a fantastic job of — he did everything he could to get back on the field.

“I’m really excited for him — to see what he can do this season.”

Morris came to Indiana from Michigan after three seasons and totaling 470 yards and three touchdowns on 12.1 yards per catch.

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The 5-foot-11 and 186-pounder is a quick, change of direction wideout whose versatility is already on display since gaining his confidence back in his knee.

“Knees are tough, they take a while, and it’s a process,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said on Thursday. “And I think he was a little tentative early on in the spring. 

“I think he’s starting to gain confidence in it now.”

He returned to practice in January during Indiana’s postseason run, but this spring is really the first true impression he’s able to make on his teammates and coaches.

With slot receiver Omar Cooper off to the NFL and a projected first-round pick, along with punt returner Jonathan Brady graduating, the versatility of Morris will certainly be leaned on for Indiana in more way than just one.

“He also returned punts at Michigan, and did a nice job of catching the ball — which that’s the number one job criteria for the punt returner, make sure when the plays are over, we got the football,” Cignetti said. “He’s a real smart guy that can learn a lot of positions.”

So even though it’s one year removed from when Cignetti and this program thought Morris would contribute — his intangibles still remain true. And expectations are there for him to add to the list of receivers who flourish in this Indiana system.

“Experience,” Cignetti said last year when Morris signed. “He’s played a lot football, started a lot of games, made some big plays in some big games. There’s a real benefit in that, and I’m glad we got him.”

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