Indiana football senior wide receiver Tyler Morris suffered a non-contact knee injury that will require season-ending surgery, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti announced in a press conference Tuesday.
Cignetti said that the senior transfer from Michigan is the only major injury Indiana has suffered since the start of spring camp.
Morris initially committed to Michigan in 2022, arriving in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as a four-star recruit. In high school, he was ranked as the No. 18 wide receiver and No. 104 overall player nationally in the class of 2022.
He appeared in eight games as a true freshman, catching three passes for 25 total yards. In 2023, he caught his first collegiate touchdown in Michigan’s overtime win over the University of Alabama in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024. Following the win against the Crimson Tide, Morris helped the Wolverines claim a College Football Playoff national championship with a win over Washington on Jan. 8, 2024.
In 2024, Morris had his most productive season, logging 23 receptions for 248 yards and two touchdowns. Following the conclusion of the season, Morris announced his entry into the transfer portal on social media Dec. 3, following an 8-5 record in Michigan’s 2024 season.
Morris committed to Indiana as he was ranked the No. 69 wide receiver and No. 351 overall player in the portal Jan. 4. He was the second wide receiver to transfer to the Hoosiers, joining former Appalachian State University receiver Makai Jackson.
With Morris out for the season, Indiana is short on wide receivers. His use was primarily in the slot until he went down.
“It sucks for Tyler and as a receiver group,” redshirt junior receiver Omar Cooper Jr. said in a press conference Thursday, “But it just makes us have to work harder, take more reps and learn more about the offense and play inside and outside.”
The injury to Morris knocked Indiana’s number of practicing scholarship receivers down to seven.
"Well, we're thin numbers-wise, that's for sure right now," Cignetti said. "We're going to bring in a number of walk-ons in the summer and fall camp so we get enough.”
Despite placing trust in the freshman receivers, Cignetti left the door open for another addition to the receiving room through the portal.
“And I think the freshman in time will be okay. (Myles) Kendrick and (Lebron) Bond are with us right now, and I like the guys that are out there.” Cignetti said. “Will we go shopping for another capable guy, in case we have an injury? Perhaps.”
Morris, if granted a medical redshirt for the upcoming season, will have two more seasons of eligibility remaining.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) for updates throughout the Indiana football offseason.
