Offseason Questions: Will Michigan Have a Quarterback?
By Ty Duffy
Michigan will be among, if not the, most hyped college football teams entering 2016. Traditional “Way Too Early” polls had them Top 10, if not Top 5.
Jim Harbaugh has dominated the offseason thus far. His spring break trip to Florida has been the biggest offseason controversy, spawning multiple twitter beefs. SEC coaches, even Nick Saban fresh off his fourth national title in seven years, are answering questions about Jim Harbaugh.
Overshadowed, perhaps by design, has been Michigan’s team itself and, specifically, the quarterback battle. Jake Rudock is moving on to adult life. Michigan does not appear to have a clear replacement. Harbaugh has not named the leader to start at quarterback. He didn’t last year, until the offense took the field against Utah.
John O'Korn is the presumptive favorite. He threw for 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns as a freshman at Houston, before losing his job to Greg Ward his sophomore year. He has two years of eligibility left, after transferring last year. He can get out of the pocket and move around a bit.
Shane Morris may be the biggest name. Morris was a Top 100 overall recruit in 2013, Brady Hoke’s first big recruiting commit. He has an arm. He has also looked woefully overmatched when called upon. His most notable moment was the concussion controversy.
Morris redshirted last year, or lost his position as Michigan’s backup. The man who stepped into the breach when Rudock went down against Minnesota was Wilton Speight.
Speight completed less than 50 percent of his passing attempts last year. But, he did do something Morris has not: thrown a touchdown pass. At Michigan’s open practice, he was getting snaps ahead of the other two quarterbacks.
Incoming freshman Brandon Peters may have the highest ceiling. He was a Top 100 overall recruit. He enrolled early in January. But it’s hard to see him cracking through as a true freshman. Even if he becomes “the Wolverines’ Luck,” it’s worth remembering Harbaugh redshirted Luck his first year for Tavita Pritchard.
Quarterback is vital for every team. Michigan is no exception. The Wolverines will have a powerful running game eventually under Harbaugh. But, last year, they ranked 79th in yards/carry. When it counted against good defenses, Michigan was a pass first offense.
The Spartans and Buckeyes may be down. But, Michigan will need a quarterback to get past them, on the road. Right now, that position looks like a concern.
Fortunately, Harbaugh is magical working with quarterbacks. Rudock’s development from start to finish last year was remarkable. Michigan starts with Hawaii, UCF, and Colorado. Their one road trip before Michigan State is Rutgers. The next quarterback will have time to settle.