The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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check and check. That's not to mention the class of 2015 signed recently, featuring a yet- to-arrive 6-6 QB out of New Mexico in Zach Gentry, in addition to early entrant Alex Malzone. It says noth- ing of the net Harbaugh and his crew is casting over the nation, in terms of recruiting moving forward. Here's what those on the pres- ent roster know, beyond all doubt. Previous coaches mentioned a sense of entitlement that could have been creeping in. This crew has taken a sledgehammer to any such thoughts. Step up, or step aside. That's the unspoken message rumbling through the walls of Schembechler Hall. Harbaugh appears to be the kid showing up at the schoolyard for pickup softball with a fully bearded, 6-3, muscled-up high school fresh- man in tow, along with an assort- ment of other menacingly matured playground newcomers. His bud- dies, ranging from chubby to thin as a DeMarini fastpitch model, might look at him and say, "Wait, you stacked a team? What about us?" The answer, of course, involves a shrug and an unspoken call for un- derstanding. Hey, this isn't T-ball anymore. This isn't coach pitch. This is somebody's go- ing to win and somebody's going to lose, and that last group isn't going to be me. It's not win at all costs. That's what they do down south (and sometimes not much farther south), with paid players, stand-in paper writers, etc. Harbaugh isn't going there. In fact, he likes to quote his own former Michigan head coach in that regard: "If you cheat to win, you've already lost." Those aren't fashionable words these days, when proven cheaters go on to better and more lucrative jobs in the college ranks, the Super Bowl or even a college presidency. Harbaugh rejects that method. But within the existing rules, he's going to get after it and press every advan- tage. That's what competitors do. Michigan's spring game wasn't ex- actly a Fourth of July fireworks show in terms of offense. The Blue crew — led by sophomore quarterback Shane Morris — won 7-0 because Morris managed to slip one touchdown throw over an undersized, fill-in cor- nerback. But what the estimated 60,000 in attendance saw that day is not what will be, for long. Harbaugh acknowl- edged he's getting a better idea of where individuals stand on the ros- ter, and he's not averse to letting the Wolverines themselves know. "I show them the depth chart, peri- odically," he said. "Periodically, you throw up the old depth chart on the old wall. It's part of football. It lets people know where they stand." The old depth chart will undoubt- edly be changed by the old roster ex- pansion. And a new look is all about getting where competitors want to go, as quickly as possible. ❏ Editor John Borton has been with The Wolverine since 1991. Contact him at jborton@thewolverine.com and follow him on Twitter @JB _ Wolverine.