Although there hasn't been an official announcement as of yet, former Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Jake Rudock appears destined to take the reins under center for the Michigan Wolverines.
A former three-star recruit for the Hawkeyes in the Class of 2011, the 6-foot-3, 208-pounder left Iowa as the program's #8 all-time passer with 4,819 yards in 25 career games. Sporting a 14-11 records in those 25 contests, Rudock posted a miniscule 2.6 percent interception rate (18 picks in 691 attempts) -- a key indicator of the ball-secruity awareness new head coach Jim Harbaugh covets when it comes to his starting quarterbacks. In fact, Rudock's five interceptions last season marked the fewest by any starter in the entire Big Ten conference.
Despite Rudock's unquestionable on-field intelligence and effectiveness as a game manager, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz made the decision in early January to place now-junior QB CJ Beathard ahead of Rudock on the team's depth chart -- a decision which prompted Rudock to survey graduate-transfer options for his final year of eligibility.
"It's weird. I never thought he'd be going to Michigan," Beathard said. "I wish him the best of luck. I was a friend of his. I know he would wish me the best of luck, too."
Rudock's experience and proven ability is likely to vault him to the front of the line in what has become a muddled quarterback competition in Ann Arbor.
"He is a pro-formation style player, and so he needs a strong offensive line, a strong running game to really flourish," Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo said to the Free Press. "He's that type of quarterback. And in that offense, I think he can be very good."
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