The Michigan Wolverines are a few days into fall camp, and there is now exactly one month until they open their season in Arlington, TX against Florida on September 2. Since Michigan has to replace 19 starters from last year's team, this fall camp is the most important of the Jim Harbaugh era. Here are all the latest news & rumors you need to know:
QB competition is "real"
Incumbent starter Wilton Speight is largely expected to keep his job this season, but the Wolverines have having a competition between him, senior John O'Korn and redshirt freshman Brandon Peters that Steve Lorenz of 247sports said "is real" and "far more intense than last year".
Jim Harbaugh addressed the competition at Big Ten Media Day:
"Fair, open, honest competition – healthy in all ways," Harbaugh said. "Throw the balls out there and let the best one prevail. You would like it where it’s the best to everybody. Somebody really emerges. Gets separation. That usually takes 10 to 15 practices.”
Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press also reports that the competition is a legitimate one.
Or is this just an overhyped quarterback battle to make all three work harder?
I think it's a real quarterback battle. Harbaugh would go with any of the three, if one outplays the others over the next few weeks.
Speight has to have the inside edge, if only because he started 12 of the 13 games last season. But in his last five starts – three of which were losses – he threw five touchdowns with five interceptions. To be fair, he had an injured shoulder and we don’t know how that affected him in any of those games.
Speight completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 2,538 yards and 18 touchdowns with seven interceptions last season.
Freshmen ready to compete
As they try to replace 19 starters, Michigan is going to have to rely on several young players in significant roles. Luckily, the freshmen class looks ready to take on those roles, according to Lorenz.
The pads have yet to go on, but one thing I'm told is that this freshman class is more prepared physically than any of the others the staff has recruited. Not a major surprise, but guys like James Hudson, Andrew Stueber and Nico Collins have shown up in good enough physical shape to contend for early playing time.
Michigan is currently projected to start 13 underclassmen next season.
Wolverines still focused on recruiting
While Michigan has turned their attention to the regular season, recruiting hasn't taken a back seat. Here are the latest tidbits from the recruiting trail:
- 4-star CB commit Myles Sims plans to sign his letter of intent in December, allowing him to enroll early.
- One of Michigan's top targets, 4-star CB Chris Smith - a Georgia commit - plans to visit Ann Arbor for Michigan's game against Ohio State.
- 4-star LB Cameron McGrone committed to Michigan over Notre Dame, Indiana
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