The Michigan football team’s receiving core will look a bit different this year. Amid transfer portal exits and new faces, the new-look group got a lot stronger. One of the early standouts is sophomore wide receiver JJ Buchanan.
Buchanan burst onto the scene for Utah as a true freshman last year. With only a summer of practices under his belt, he was a strong component to the Utes’ offense, starting every game in 2025. And while he was listed as a tight end at Utah, Buchanan will play more of a receiver role for the Wolverines.
“They’ll play inside, outside, left, right, we’ll move them all over,” Michigan offensive coordinator Jason Beck said Tuesday of his receivers. “JJ is every bit of that. When he came to Utah everybody listed him as a tight end, but he’s 98% of the time going to be in a two-point stance flexed out.”
Buchanan brings a physical presence with his 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame. Last year with the Utes, also playing under Beck’s system, he was used in a few different ways. Toward the end of the season, Utah utilized a lot of RPOs with designed quarterback roll-outs. Buchanan ran a lot of in-breaking routes like digs and slants on these plays. His physicality helped him box out defensive backs and find soft spots in zone coverage.
Another aspect of Buchanan’s game that pops on tape is his ability to high point the ball. A former basketball player in high school, Buchanan flashed both his vertical and ball-tracking skills last season — often coming down with six points. Buchanan’s size as Michigan’s tallest receiver will likely make him a target in the red zone this season. Notably, the Wolverines’ 2025 red zone offense ranked 105th in the nation, while the Utes’ ranked 14th. While Utah wasn’t lobbing up 50-50 balls to Buchanan every time it got in scoring position, his jump-ball ability will certainly add a helpful wrinkle to the red-zone offense.
“Within that first week (last season) he just made some big contested catches and you just saw him do it and you go ‘All right, let’s give him some more opportunities’ and he just kept going,” Beck said.
Buchanan did a lot last season, both stretching the field and working over the middle. The only thing he wasn’t asked to do was execute short designed run-after-catch opportunities, but he won’t need to as sophomore wide receivers Andrew Marsh and Jamie Ffrench excelled in those positions last season. And with his tight end experience lined up out wide, he could create blocking mismatches with smaller defensive backs so that Marsh and Ffrench could slip free.
The last question surrounding Buchanan is how he will play alongside sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood. Last season Underwood struggled to develop immediate chemistry with his receivers, but eventually found his favorite target in Marsh. Buchanan is the only receiver with experience in Beck’s system, so he should come in with a good understanding of the playbook as Underwood continues to learn the scheme. Prior experience isn’t the same as an innate connection, but Buchanan’s season of experience will stand out in a young receiver room.
Buchanan presents a special blend of physicality and speed that make him a difficult matchup. With a knack for coming down with the football, Underwood will have a new target with an experienced feel.
