The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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mates quickly. "I remember when Russell Wil- son went to Wisconsin in 2011 [from North Carolina State], talking to [then-UW head coach] Bret Bielema about how this dynamic will work because you have guys that have been toiling away on campus work- ing hard, and then all of a sudden someone parachutes in from the out- side and is anointed as the savior, so how his [Michigan] teammates accept Jake Rudock will be key," said BigTenNetwork.com writer Tom Di- enhart, who thinks the former Iowa signal-caller has the personality to win over the Wolverines. "You need to know this, he's a great kid. A very humble kid as well. He should be a guy that can work himself into the locker room quickly. "Skill wise, he's nothing special, but at this point Michigan wants a couple things from its quarterback: No. 1, be efficient, complete the open pass; and No. 2, don't turn it over, and those are a couple things Rudock is good at. He's not a Russell Wilson, but he can at least be a satisfactory quarterback." Marcus Ray, the former Wolverine who now provides college football analysis for the Big Ten Network, also cautioned against anointing Ru- dock. Yes, he's a two-year Big Ten starter, Ray acknowledged, but he contended that doesn't automatically qualify him to come in and start at Michigan. Rudock will need to demonstrate competency in Harbaugh's offense, and get acclimated to the surround- ings in Ann Arbor (including his teammates), Ray noted. Morris came out of spring practice as the leader in the race to start behind center, and Ray cautioned against counting him out. "I think Rudock is going to be an important piece," Ray said. "I don't think he going to be a savior. If you're the man, if you're the guy at Iowa, you don't leave. Whatever is going on out there is not our busi- ness. Now he's a Wolverine, and his job is going to be an elder statesman and lead that offense. "First of all, you've got to know the guys. It's going to be bigger than just football. It's funny to me how Michigan has become the land of op- portunity. A guy just transfers and, oh, he's going to start — especially at quarterback." In Ray's eyes, nothing will be given without it getting earned. "Everybody is projecting you to be the guy, and you're not a guy who just won the Big Ten championship, or was an All-American," Ray said. "But for the given situation, Michi- gan will benefit. "Rudock has played a lot of foot- ball, and he has a relationship with Jedd Fisch [who recruited him while at Miami (Fla.) in 2011] and wants to be coached by Harbaugh. He prob- ably wants to have a real chance to go to the next level, and there's an opportunity at Michigan. "If Michigan can run the ball, use play-action, screens and draws, hit the tight end occasionally, go verti- cal three times a game, I think Jake Rudock will be just fine." That doesn't mean the race is over,