The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 57 QUARTERBACKS thought Speight would be a transfer candidate, and he could be the starter on a team that has national championship aspirations. "It's not just Harbaugh. It's Jedd Fisch as well, the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The combination of those two, and the influence they have over the quarterbacks, puts Michigan's quarterback situation in good hands." O'Korn provides, by far, the most on-field experience of the top trio. He started 16 games at the University of Houston, including 11 as a true freshman. That year, he set Houston freshman records with 259 completions and 28 touchdown throws. In all, he played 20 games for the Cougars, before transferring to Michigan and sitting out last season. He's the most mobile of the U-M quarterback contenders and throws the best deep ball, according to practice observers over the past year. Reducing interceptions and taking good care of the football looms as a crucial factor in whether or not O'Korn steps forward to take control of Michigan's 2016 offense. With a strong defense at the ready, Harbaugh might be willing to sacrifice some fireworks for ball security. "I'd still bet on O'Korn," Karsch said. "He probably benefitted from being Jake Rudock's roommate. Those two, during free time, were talking. Something Harbaugh talked about all spring was cut- ting down on mistakes. O'Korn probably got a rundown of everything Rudock did right and everything Rudock did wrong, in an informal setting." O'Korn certainly appears to feature the physical makeup to grab the starting job, Karsch noted. "I kind of got half the story with O'Korn," he added. "I got the good part. As soon as you get the kid's name, the first thing you do is get on the internet and try to find game highlights. The highlights, of course, are the high end of what he can do. You watch that video, and you'll walk away thinking the kid can make all the throws. "That's the good side. There are also the interceptions or a bad read, all that stuff that doesn't make a highlight film. It seems like that's such a point of emphasis with Harbaugh and Fisch. But the ability to make things happen with his feet separates him, and he simply has more game experience." Speight made the most of his meaningful minutes last season, com- ing in to save the Minnesota game on the road. When the Gophers rocked Rudock off the field via injury, Speight came on to lead the PRESEASON ANALYSIS: QUARTERBACKS Starter ✪ ✪ ✪ It's tough to go more than three stars on a five-star scale here, given all the unknowns. Redshirt junior John O'Korn has the experience, mobility and strong arm, but can he avoid crucial turnovers? Redshirt sophomore Wilton Speight might be a bit steadier, but does he possess as much upside? Here's the known — the starter will be working with Jim Harbaugh and QBs coach Jedd Fisch, who grew Jake Rudock into a very strong field general. Depth ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ The Wolverines go into the season with three quarterbacks who have played, including redshirt junior Shane Morris. So they won't be caught unprepared, should the starter go down. The question involves the quality of the backups, in terms of stepping up against a top opponent like Speight did last year against Minnesota. X-Factor It has to be Morris' budding versatility. In the spring game, the fourth-year Wolverine split out at wide receiver on several occasions, throwing a touchdown from that spot as well as showing sure hands catching the football. It's a wrinkle opponents may have to consider. Overall ✪ ✪ ✪ Again, without a returning starter in this system, there has to be a wait-and-see rank- ing. Whoever wins the job will be surrounded by veterans, but how the quarterback himself progresses through the season remains crucial to Michigan's hopes. Note: Star rankings are made on a scale of 1-5 stars. QUICK FACTS Position Coach: Jedd Fisch (second season). Returning Starter: John O'Korn (16 career starts at Houston), Shane Morris (2). Departing Starter: Jake Rudock (13). Projected New Starter: O'Korn. Top Reserve: Wilton Speight. Wait Until 2017: Brandon Peters. Newcomers: Peters. Moved In: None. Moved Out: None. Rookie Impact: None. Most Improved Player: Speight. Best Pro Prospect: O'Korn. FYI: Michigan quarterbacks guided the Wolverines to the fourth-best scoring offense in the Big Ten (32.0 points per game) in league contests … The Wolverines finished third in the conference in passing offense, averaging 254.5 yards per game within the Big Ten … U-M also checked in third in the league for passing efficiency (140.5 rating) … Gradu - ate transfer Jake Rudock averaged 245.4 passing yards per game, behind only Indiana's Nate Sudfeld (291.6) and Michigan State's Connor Cook (270.3) in the league … Rudock's pass efficiency rating was also third, behind Sudfeld (153.8) and Ohio State's Cardale Jones (151.1) … Michigan quarterbacks tossed five interceptions in the opening three games of 2015, but only five more over the course of the final 10 contests … O'Korn and Morris have a combined 18 starts between them … O'Korn earned third-team Freshman All-America honors from Athlon Sports … O'Korn was named the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year with Houston in 2013, starting 11 games as a true freshman … The Wolverines feature three quarterbacks at 6-4 or taller … O'Korn prepped at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the same school attended by Rudock … Morris played as a true freshman, but redshirted last season, despite the fact that he was not injured. In his lone significant opportunity last year, redshirt sophomore Wil- son Speight came off the bench to engineer the game-winning drive — capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass and two-point conversion — at Minnesota. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL