jack coan

I'm bringing back this preview feature from before my time off; the exercise is to rank Michigan's opponents, as well as the Wolverines themselves, in each position group. This is particularly useful to do in a year when roster turnover and late-offseason changes (laaaaaaaaaaaaaate-offseason changes) are so prevalent; I'll do my best in these posts to highlight significant opt-outs, opt-ins, and the like.

We start, as is tradition, with quarterback. We start there, as is tradition, with the enemy of enemies. Presumed starter is listed in bold, others are in italics.

TIER I: F*** YOU, KIRBY SMART

1. Ohio State

Justin Fields is back. Nothing else needs to be said to justify OSU's placement in a tier of their own. He's a Heisman candidate (again) and potential top-five pick after this season.

If you're searching for a glimmer of hope, the backup situation is dicey. Senior Gunner Hoak was an emergency transfer addition when he couldn't win the job at Kentucky and Ohio State needed a body at QB in 2019. Freshmen CJ Stroud and Jack Miller are talented early enrollees but both are fresh out of high school. If Fields is unavailable, the dropoff may be massive.

TIER II: ALL-CONFERENCE CONTENDERS

2. Minnesota

While Tanner Morgan is often overlooked because of Minnesota's talent at receiver, he plays his role in PJ Fleck's offense extremely well. Morgan led the Big Ten at 10.2 yards per attempt, threw 30 TDs against only seven picks, and completed two-thirds of his passes. Yes, it helps to have Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson, but you still have to put those playmakers in good spots position, and Morgan tosses accurate, catchable passes at all levels. He gets Bateman back, too.

The Gophers get the slight edge over the next team on the list because they have a backup with starting experience. Before Morgan emerged last season, Zack Annexstad was the returning starter coming off a passable year given he was thrown into the fire as a freshman. Annexstad got hurt and Morgan took full control of the job, but should the starter go down, Minnesota will be in a better position than most programs to keep their offense from imploding.

3. Indiana

Based on starter talent alone, Indiana has a strong argument for the #2 spot. Michael Penix Jr. isn't a big name outside of Indiana because he's been injured for much of the last two seasons. When healthy, though, he's been electric, and he chased a solid Big Ten starter (Peyton Ramsey) out of town. Penix averaged 8.7 yards per attempt and 5.4 yards per carry (not adjusted for sacks) in 2019 but only made it through three of his six starts before succumbing to a shoulder injury.

Penix has more upside than Morgan, particularly in the running game. He's yet to prove he can produce against the upper tier of the Big Ten, though, and his injury history is concerning for a player who relies so much on his legs. While the Hoosiers have former four-star recruit Jack Tuttle as a backup, he's another transfer who's had to start fresh following a short stint at Utah.

[Hit THE JUMP for a pretty strong group of signal-callers until you reach the ass end of the conference.]

Note: The slew of commitments pushed this back, but I'm still taking questions via email or Twitter (use the hashtag #mgomailbag) for a recruiting mailbag that—any further recruiting developments pending—should go up tomorrow.

A4 To Your Door/No Sleepers No More

Just another totally normal Harbaugh picture. [Fuller]

Michigan hosted their "Aerial Assault" quarterback camp over the weekend. It featured such football activities as fielding ground balls and dodgeball; reportedly, the quarterbacks also threw an actual football around a little bit. Because Jim Harbaugh was involved, they kept score for the top campers, and M commit Brandon Peters came out on top, per TMI's Brice Marich:

The headliner of the camp was Avon, Indiana junior quarterback and Wolverine commit in Brandon Peters. The 6-4, 209-pound gun slinger showed off his strong arm and his footwork in several drills. He was in the top overall group and performed very well even in dodgeball. He clearly soaked in tutelage from signal callers like Jay Cutler and ultimately earned the crown as the camp’s top performer.

2017 four-star NY QB Jack Coan, the only rising junior offeree in attendance, found the camp as strange and informative as one would expect, per 247's Steve Lorenz ($):

"The camp itself was one of the most unique experiences I've ever had since I started playing football," Coan said. "I didn't go into the camp expecting to play baseball or dodgeball or anything like that, but it worked and it was one of the most rewarding experiences I've had from a camp standpoint. I learned a lot from a lot of great current and former players and coaches. It was really great to work with someone like Jay Cutler and a coach like Coach Harbaugh who has seen the position from every different angle."

Coan also took a campus tour while in Ann Arbor. Michigan seems to be in pretty good shape for him.

2018 Paramus (NJ) Catholic QB Allan Walters also worked with the top group. He showed enough to earn an offer, and he was still having a hard time expressing his excitement when 247's Steve Wiltfong caught up with him:

"I'm so excited I can't express it," Walters said. "I don't know a better offer for a quarterback. Harbaugh and Michigan that's unbelievable. I'm in shock and so excited."

Walters also has early offers from Rutgers and Temple. The ever-strengthening connection between Michigan and Paramus Catholic should help here.

[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]

Winston On Campus

2016 U of D Jesuit point guard Cassius Winston, the #23 overall prospect on the 247 Composite, is expected to be on campus today for an unofficial visit, per The Michigan Insider's* Kyle Bogenschutz ($). With two bigs already in the fold—albeit with rumblings that Austin Davis could reclassify to 2017—and Tyus Battle adding a dynamic wing to the class, getting a point guard will be the main focus going forward, and there's little question Winston is at the top of Michigan's wish list.

Winston's father told Bogenschutz that this is still a battle between the Wolverines and Michigan State. Winston will have a little more time to focus on recruiting in the near future, as a broken wrist suffered last weekend will sideline him the next 6-8 weeks. 

Step Into The Octagon. For Football. I Think.

ExposureU teams w NFL QBs & trainers for a 1 day Aerial Assault. First ever 2016, 2017, 2018, & 2019 QB Cage Match! pic.twitter.com/Kw93lkmjlQ

— Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) May 13, 2015

Jim Harbaugh announced a quarterback camp to coincide with Michigan's Exposure U Presented By Troll God camp. The available details are limited to the above for now. Colin Kaepernick! Jay Cutler! Denard Robinson! Jameis Winston! Uh... Zac Robinson! A F****** FIGHTER JET! CAAAAAAAAAAAGE MAAAAAAAATCH!

You know what? The fewer details we add to the above, the better. Stay tuned for an indeterminate time until QB ARMAGEDDON.

[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup]