The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/116680
commitment profile protect himself, but won't shy away. I think he has pretty good presence in the pocket. "If he just stays on his path of hard work and focus, studying game film of our opponents and finishing his evaluation of himself, he'll be in good position." Speight also starred for Collegiate's basketball team and played lacrosse his first two years of high school. Clearly, he's a well-rounded athlete and individual. It's his skill as a distributor on the field, however, that has earned him the opportunity to continue his athletic career at the University of Michigan. According to renowned quarterbacks coach Steve Clarkson — who has trained amateur and professional passers including former Notre Dame standout Jimmy Clau- sen and two-time all-pro Pittsburgh Steeler Ben Roethlisberger — Speight has the potential to be a special player under Al Borges' tutelage. "Probably over the last six to eight months, he's really taken a step," Clarkson said. "When you see a kid for the first time, you're not sure of his ceiling until you start to work with him and ask more of him each time. As a prospect, he just really ascended. Including just finishing his junior season, he has made leaps and bounds in terms of what his development is, and people started to take notice." Since his commitment to Michigan, other programs — including reigning national champion Alabama — have come calling, but Speight will not entertain other suitors. He's sticking with his commitment to Michigan. ❏ Film Evaluation Strengths: Speight's height gives him the luxury of having great vision down the field. His length also creates a higher point of release when the ball leaves his hand. This makes it harder for defensive linemen to knock passes down at the line of scrimmage. Speight has nice footwork in his drops and turns his hips well as he adjusts his directions. His throwing mechanics are also ahead of most players his age. He shows pretty good foot speed to escape the pocket and keeps his eyes down field at the same time. Areas Of Improvement: Like most young quarterbacks, Speight will have to continue to improve his accuracy. Pocket passers must have the ability to stand strong and not be dragged down by arm tackles — and Speight will need to add weight and strength to his frame. Lastly, the speed of Big Ten defensive backs will require him to increase the velocity he puts on his passes. Michigan Player Comparison: The 6-6 Elvis Grbac (1988-92) was a great pocket passer for Michigan. He set U-M passing records and was part of five consecutive Big Ten championship teams. — Analysis by former U-M All-Big Ten OL Doug Skene