Shane Morris plans to return to Michigan

Submitted by Dawkins on

Shane Morris said he plans to return to Michigan next season

— angelique (@chengelis) December 30, 2015

Unsalted

December 30th, 2015 at 3:58 PM ^

The numbers crunch will soon be upon us. According to the MGoBlog depth chart by class there are currently 16 scholarships open for 2016 (13 graduations plus 3 currently open). That means there need to be 11 other departures to bring in a class of 27.

Getting to 11 without Shane transferring is going to very interesting indeed.

No matter what happens with Shane, I wish him nothing but the best. He is a class act, and has been a great ambassador for Michigan.

Bambi

December 30th, 2015 at 3:23 PM ^

This should come as no surprise. Obviously the what else would he say caveat applies, but I think Morris will be here through the spring to try and win the job. If he's in the lead or has a real shot at it he'll be here next year. If he's clearly got not shot then he'll transfer, but he'll be at Michigan at least through the spring.

Milty

December 30th, 2015 at 3:32 PM ^

I aqreee with this, especially if he has the possibility of graduating either by the end of spring or summer semester, which would allow him to transfer and still play for two years somewhere else.

Lanknows

December 30th, 2015 at 3:35 PM ^

Why would he sit out a year if he doesn't have to?  Waiting till he graduates makes a lot more sense.

That factor is far more important than if he wins the job or not (as he seems extremely unlikely to do so.)

umfanchris

December 30th, 2015 at 3:54 PM ^

I haven't heard anything about him graduating early. Not many kids do that. So if he transfers then he will have to sit out next year and lose a year of eligibility (since he already redshirted this year). Here he at least has a chance to play next year. Even if he ends up as the 3rd QB on the roster you can still get PT in garbage time or if the injury bug hits. If he transfers then there is no way he is playing next year and he loses his Redshirt Junior Year completely. So I see him being here all of next year no matter what happens in spring. Might as well get a degree from Michigan and get the chance to play.Then if he is not happy or not a starter then he can use the grad transfer rule and transfer the year after.

Lanknows

December 30th, 2015 at 4:04 PM ^

A:  Play elsewhere in 2017 after transferring but spend 2016 developing under Harbaugh and competing (but probably don't playing much) at Michigan.

B: Play elsewhere in 2017 after transferring but spend 2016 developing under Not-Harbaugh with 100% certainty of not playing.

C:  Play elsewhere in 2017 AND 2016 if you can graduate by Fall 2016.

 

C may or may not be feasible but A > B.

D is obviously stay here and compete but the deck looks stacked against him right now and there's a good chance he wouldn't be invited back for 2017.

sj

December 30th, 2015 at 4:21 PM ^

The benefit of B is that he'll learn the system and teammates of the new school where he's going and they'lll all get to know him. This is really valuable and will make it much more likely he'll start from day 1 his 5th year. 

Lanknows

December 30th, 2015 at 6:19 PM ^

We've seen a lot of successful grad transfer QBs move and succeed without having a full year of prep time.  Shane could hypothetically graduate in December and then still have 9 months of 'getting to know ya' time.  Furthermore, if he transfers to a similar system the transition shouldn't be dramatic.

Lanknows

December 30th, 2015 at 4:07 PM ^

But I would think Morris would aim higher than playing (and graduating) from GVSU.  No offense intended for GVSU grads but Michigan is a different level, not just on the football field.  Morris is presumably not far off from graduation.

Mr Miggle

December 30th, 2015 at 6:51 PM ^

transferred back to their original school. It makes sense that your degree would come from the school you spent 3+ years attending. Players have done that before, not sure if any have at Michigan.

gwkrlghl

December 30th, 2015 at 3:35 PM ^

He never appeared to be higher than 3rd string the entire year and now the O'Korn redshirt comes off and Peters is coming in. If he wants to compete then I'm sure Harbaugh loves it, but I'd be shocked if he emerged from spring practice higher than 3rd string

Albatross

December 30th, 2015 at 3:56 PM ^

I believe the only reason Harbaugh didn't use him is cause he wanted to keep him around for two more years. Anyone who has been to practices at all knows Shane was ahead of Speight. Depth chart showed that until Harbaugh felt they were too far into the season to justify burning his redshirt.

Also, not sure why everyone is so eager to crown O'Korn. Clips i have seen doesn't make him look like a finished can't miss product. I know people will say he won freshmen of the year for his conference, yada, yada, yada. But he also lost his job no sooner than he got it. So I view him as a developing player with a chance to win the job, so about the same position as Shane.

Bambi

December 30th, 2015 at 3:56 PM ^

He and Harbuagh agreed that he would red-shirt at the beginnin of the year, so for all we know he was second string all year.

None of the quarterbacks on the roster have proven anything in their time at Michigan, so in that sense all of them have a chance to win the starting job. I think O'Korn is going to be a good starter and win the job, but by the time next season rolls around Morris will be in his second under Harbaugh. With his talent there's definitely a chance he improves and becomes a viable B1G starter. I wouldn't bet on it, but it's possible.

Mr. Yost

December 30th, 2015 at 5:46 PM ^

That it really doesn't mean much.

What would be nice is for us to know when he graduates. I've assumed that he could have his degree as early as the end of the summer and then do the grad transfer right before fall camp like Rudock and Vernon Adams did.

Other grad transfers are "lucky" (poor choice of words) to graduate in the winter where they get an entire spring and summer with their new team before playing the following fall.

Regardless, I don't think he leaves until he graduates...it's just a matter of when that happens.

But we've all been tooted this hypothetical since we realized he was going to redshirt in September.

In reply to by ijohnb

Dawkins

December 30th, 2015 at 3:26 PM ^

Would be crazy too if Jabril beat out all our QBs for the starting position but that's not going to happen either. Shane is not a big ten-caliber starting quarterback. 

trueblue262

December 30th, 2015 at 3:33 PM ^

We've had a chance to see him on the field maybe on what, 3 occasions?

I'm not counting this kid out yet. He has a strong desire to play for Michigan, a strong arm......and a pretty good coach to coach him up. I'm not saying he's going to win the job, but I'm not ready to count him out

gwkrlghl

December 30th, 2015 at 3:38 PM ^

I can't figure why everyone is so sure Shane is just this all-star QB hiding on the bench, waiting to be unleashed. I can only assume it was because of his very high (incorrect) recruiting rankings. Speight clearly passed him this year. Why would we expect Shane to magically pass Wilton all of a sudden? Didn't Harbaugh coach both of them this year?

GoBLUE_SemperFi

December 30th, 2015 at 4:01 PM ^

Unless you proclaim that Morris is a DIII QB, everyone considers you a Morris homer.  All the while, these same folks gather all of the ignorance at their disposal to proclaim that Morris isn't a B1G caliber QB.  Unbelievable.  I just don't understand the mentality.

If Harbaugh didn't see talent in Morris, he wouldn't be on the roster.  I trust the QB Whisperer a lot more than I do MGoBlog player evaluators.

trustBlue

December 30th, 2015 at 5:32 PM ^

Wholeheartedly gree with your first point, but wrt the second, Shane was already here when Harbaugh arrived. Harbaugh can't simply kick Shane off the roster (without resorting to SEC level shenanigans.)  

But I agree that if Harbaugh really believed that Shane had no chance of contributing, he would have already let him know that he'd be better served seeking greener pastures elsewhere.  

GoBLUE_SemperFi

December 30th, 2015 at 11:21 PM ^

Lost his starting job at Houston.

You see how I did that, avoided circumstances that I knew to be true to make it fit my argument.

You have no idea whether or not Morris was "3rd string" based on performance or Harbaugh's actual word regarding the desire to keep his redshirt.

I just don't understand the dislike that some Michigan fans have for Morris.

Red is Blue

December 30th, 2015 at 4:21 PM ^

So, now we're hoping that he can pass O'Korn to be the starter.  A few minutes ago we were all sure he was an all-star in hiding.  Is it unlikely that he becomes the starter?  Yes.  Is it a big leap?  Yes.  Is it impossible?  No. 

I'm hoping he can reach his potential (whatever that may be).  And I'm also hoping Michigan has high quality play from the most important person on the field.

GoBLUE_SemperFi

December 30th, 2015 at 4:46 PM ^

For Morris to have an opportunity, that's all. I don't expect him to become the starter, as I have NO IDEA what Harbaugh actually thinks regarding his talent or potential.

I just wish some fans would stop acting like they attend practice and coaches meetings.

Wasn't there some discussion regarding respect and using player's name when discussing which players might be leaving? Yet, with Morris, fans are ready to pack his bags and buy his ticket.