[Bryan Fuller/MGoBlog]

Your impressions of Jake Rudock?

“Yeah! All those quarterbacks are doing a great job. This is day 21 of practice. I guess it’s 10 days until our first game, and all of them are competing and doing a great job.”

With him taking the majority of the reps Saturday is that an indication that he is the No. 1 guy?

“No, there’s no decision that’s been made.”

How close are you to having five linemen that you’re settled on?

“We’re not. You know, every group is competing and we want that because it brings the best out of everybody. So we’ll just keep tinkering around and putting guys in there in and out, and when the time comes we’ll make that decision.”

When do you want to have it by?

“I don’t know yet. I don’t know that yet. Like I said, we’re 10 days out from game time, so when the time comes we’ll make that decision.”

Can you sense that build up? You’re going to be on a plane a week from tomorrow. Can you start sensing the excitement?

“Yeah, you do. You do. It’s always fun to go play somebody else because you’ve been playing against each other. It’s one day at a time right now but you do sense it, yeah.”

Looking at your receivers you have an interesting mix. You have a bunch of young guys who’ve not played at all and some veterans as well. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about your receiving corps?

“I think they’ve got very good speed, they’ve got good hands, they catch really well, they’re disciplined in their routes. A lot of positive things. A lot of guys making a lot of catches. Blocking really well.”

[After THE JUMP: A (very) rough timeline for announcing the starting QB]

I had asked DJ if he’d experienced anything like the bunker mentality, the whole submarine thing. Is this a first for you? Have you ever been a part of anything like this?

“Oh yeah. Oh yeah, with coach Harbaugh. I think this is my 11th year with him, going on 12.”

As far as the specific bunker mentality and locking down?

“Yeah, I think it’s just when you’re around each other and there’s nobody else in the facility you can concentrate on what you need to learn [and] how you need to do it. You can really build a relationship with your coaches and really get to know your teammates and get that trust. It’s a real fun time when you do that.”

Does the element of surprise in a first game play into how close-mouthed everybody wants to be leading up to it?

“No. I think as coaches and players you’re always trying to find the best way that you’re going to go into a game and put a great game plan together, and that you want to practice all the looks and have all the different situations down. I don’t think there’s any surprises. I think you prepare to be successful.”

With that in mind, is there a hard date for planning purposes to have a final depth chart in place?

“No, no, there’s not. We’ll find a time when we decide to do that, but it’s…like I said before, when you compete every day it brings the best out in you as an individual and in me as a coach, because I’m walking in here every day trying to be the best I can be as a coach and they’re trying to be the best as players and that’s the best thing is you elevate your game. It’s life lessons, you know. It’s about competing.”

You had spring with Shane [Morris]. How have you seen him improve?

“Oh, unbelievable. Really just the way he takes command of the huddle, the way he can spit out a play, the way his drops- Jedd’s done a great job, coach Harbaugh’s done a great job the way he’s throwing the ball. There’s been a lot of change from him. And he’s a year older too, so that makes a difference.”

I was told that he made at least one nice running play Saturday. What do you think of Shane’s mobility?

“Oh, I think he can really run. I think it’s one of his strengths. I think he does a nice job. He can move around in the pocket…like all of them do. You know, they can find a quiet spot where they have to get out and run and scramble. That’s something that’s really good. And that’s one thing your look for in a quarterback. You look for a quarterback who can make a play when there’s no play to be made, and that’s the great ones that can do that. And we have those guys here at the University of Michigan, which is exciting.”

Are you close to having a quarterback who’s stood out and really taken this thing?

“No. Like I said, we’re rotating a lot of guys through and we’ll make that decision when the time’s ready to be made.”

How far down has it been whittled?

“It hasn’t. It really hasn’t. Those guys are competing.”

How much of Jake have you watched on film, since he’s had two years of starting, and how much is exclusively what you’ve seen?

“I mean, we’ve watched him on film. You do that when you’re going to recruit somebody. And then you watch him on our own practice film.”

Is there a difference? Do you see an evolution over the years? Do you see that in this camp he’s made strides?

“Yeah, I think he’s done a good job learning our system and being able to call the plays and command the huddle and step up and get the snap and do his job.”

Do you expect that they’ll announce that quarterback before the first snap against Utah?

“I would think so, yeah. I think so when you start your first game you have to do that, yeah.”

No, I meant outside of the program, sorry.

“What’s that?”

Outside of the program, will they announce—will we know who that quarterback is before the first snap at Utah?

“At some point in time somebody will announce it, yes.”

What is your opinion of playing two quarterbacks?

“There’s times you could do that. You could play two quarterbacks if you’d like to, sure.”

Have you done that, where you have one guy play a quarter and the next…

“Mmm, we’ve done that some different places where you’ll put another guy in.”

Is it ideal?

“The bottom line is you’re preparing to play the game [and] you want to put the best personnel on the field to try and win the game, so if that’s part of your package then you do it. If it’s not-- if you don’t feel you’d gain an advantage-- then you don’t do it.”

The bunker mentality you talked about being good for the team, but for your position group, the offensive line group, is it more important to get close?

“I think it’s good for everybody. Doesn’t matter if you’re a kicker, doesn’t matter if you’re a quarterback or line. It’s neat, you know, you’re sitting shoulder to shoulder in a meeting room with somebody and humble thyself and check your ego at the door and we’re all in this together. And you can communicate and get better as a football player, get better as a person. There’s nothing better than that.”

Jake appears really composed when we see him.

“Yeah!”

Does that translate onto the field? Does he have a high composure level?

“Yeah. I mean, all of those quarterbacks have a good confidence level and are very composed. I couldn’t choose and say one compared to the other. They all do.”

What’s the biggest difference in the offensive line from spring until now?

“I think they just know where to go, and they’re starting to get a chemistry up front. You can see that. And they’re starting to think the same thing. Kalis is starting to think that maybe if Ben Pliska or Kugler’s in at center…they’re starting to think and talk the same. They’re starting to get a good feel.”

Do you want it to be a chemistry with 10 guys? Five guys? You’re saying you’re still working on it.

“Yeah! You know, you’d like it to be five guys and you find your sixth, seventh, eighth guy. You’re rotating a lot of guys in there.”

Is there cross-training in terms of spots on the line?

“Yeah, you have to. You cross-train a little bit. Put a guy at guard, put him at tackle.”

Anybody stood out at running back?

“They’ve all done a good job. They really have. They really have improved there. It’s…really good job. Like I said, no lineup’s been set. We’re working hard. It’s an exciting time in University of Michigan football. When the time comes we’ll tell you who it is.”

But you have a penciled-in depth chart.

“Yeah, but it rotates every day. It’s about competition. If a guy’s still the No. 1 guy that day then he’s the No. 1 guy.”