Update on Jake Rudock - WILL BE Transferring, MAYBE to Michigan

Submitted by EastCoast Esq. on

Here is the update (per Bruce Feldman).

 

QB Jake Rudock, who started 2 yrs at #Iowa, is transferring. He will visit #Michigan next wk,source told @FOXSports. As a grad, is elig. now

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) March 11, 2015

h/t Clint Brewster

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Magnus

March 11th, 2015 at 10:42 AM ^

I think taking Rudock - or promoting Speight - would be a pretty good indication that the coaches do not have confidence in Morris. If he does not win the job this year, I think there's a decent chance that Morris goes elsewhere. I have to think that he could play somewhere, even if it's at WMU or Ball State.

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DrewGOBLUE

March 11th, 2015 at 3:29 PM ^

So hypothetically, if Morris redshirted this season due to being buried on the depth chart, could he then transfer after winter semester and still have two more seasons of eligibility remaining? Otherwise, it'd make a lot more sense to take the RS, get a Michigan degree, and then look at other schools for his fifth year.

And as a QB being coached by Jim Harbaugh, even if Morris rarely plays, he still should improve a ton. Then if a grad transfer is the right move, he'll probably choose a school where he can compete for and likely earn the starting job.

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Alumnus93

March 11th, 2015 at 5:31 PM ^

If the coaches take Rudock, I do not think that necessarily means they don't have confidence in Morris, other than maybe in the short near term.... Harbaugh is being responsible by bringing in well-experienced players, and the QB needs it... Morris isn't experienced at all. But this doesn't mean they don't like him in a year....

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Magnus

March 11th, 2015 at 8:30 PM ^

Morris is actually pretty experienced for a guy who has never been a full-time starter. I mean, virtually every new starter is inexperienced to a degree. He played in five games in each of the last two seasons (with two total starts), and he has attempted 87 passes. I think you probably have to go back a ways to find a brand new starting QB at Michigan who had MORE experience going into the season.

Gardner was less experienced when he took over for Denard in 2012.

Denard Robinson only attempted something like 4 passes as a freshman before he started in 2010.

Tate Forcier started as a true freshman.

Steve Threet and Nick Sheridan were both brand new to college football.

Chad Henne started as a true freshman.

John Navarre got thrown into the fire, IIRC.

In the past fifteen years, no new starter at QB will have had more experience than Morris going into 2015 (if he is indeed the starter, which is doubtful).

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umumum

March 11th, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^

I don't think we offer Rudock and I don't think he comes "just to compete".  I don't know that he will necessarily get "promises", but I suspect he will believe that it will be his job to lose. There are other places he could probably go with actual promises.

I undertand the "doesn't the kid want to compete" mantra, but more than competing, most kids want to play.  What would be the "writing on the wall" that would tell Morris it is time to transfer?  Waiting until he only has 1 year of eligility?  I'd suggest that with Rudock coming in this year and Korn on the horizon next year, those would be signs that Morris would seriously consider.

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Auerbach

March 11th, 2015 at 10:11 AM ^

I don't understand the "Really? ANOTHER Quarterback?!" sentiment. As far as next year is concerned, all Harbaugh has done is recruit a guy who will be a non-early enrolling true freshman (Gentry). So this would be his second move at the QB position. O'Korn doesn't count since he won't be eligble next year, and Rudock doesn't affect 2016 and beyond since he won't be eligble then. You kind of have to look at O'Korn and Rudock as existing in two completely separate universes. 

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turd ferguson

March 11th, 2015 at 10:17 AM ^

At the time you posted, I count zero "Really? ANOTHER QB?" posts and quite a few posts that say the exact opposite.  Maybe my memory of past threads differs from yours, but my sense is that most here would be fine/happy with Rudock transferring in.

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Magnus

March 11th, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^

He doesn't? Shane Morris has 0 touchdowns (running OR passing) and 5 interceptions in his career. The rest of the guys haven't played a down of college football.

There's no question that Rudock is an upgrade, unless you're assuming that Speight or Malzone could have had a 16-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio last year.

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Auerbach

March 11th, 2015 at 10:22 AM ^

No kidding. We have no idea whether any of our current QBs can even be competent in 2015. At least Rudock comes in with competence at the QB position as his floor. And that may be all we need to have a good season next year. 

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sj

March 11th, 2015 at 10:15 AM ^

His stats do make him seem likely to be ahead of our other players. Probably a good idea. 

These grad student transfers are funny beasts. I thought most redshirts were "academic" redshirts to make it so players could deal with the absurd responsibilities of being student-athletes on a slightly slower course. The grad transfers redshirted but obviously didn't need the fifth year to graduate, since they did it in four.

Also, I believe they're supposed to get their masters in a field where they get into the program, but the program doesn't exists at the school they're leaving. That must lead to some funny masters degrees choices, right? In his case, he seems to be a microbiology pre-med. Our med school is so big I'll bet there's something that will fit his academic needs.

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Magnus

March 11th, 2015 at 10:21 AM ^

I'm not sure if I agree, but some people say that you should not get your Master's in the same field as you got your Bachelor's. So it's not too surprising that people might want to go to other schools and broaden their horizons.

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west2

March 11th, 2015 at 10:28 AM ^

is the trepidation for Rudock will be with one year to play he doesnt want to spend it on the pine.  So if Harbaugh doesn't give him a green light that he is most likely to play then he is going to look elsewhere even if it ends up being at a MAC team level.  He wants to play put up some big numbers get noticed and take a shot at the NFL, can't blame him for that! 

That said, what better situation for an experienced QB but to come and play for Harbaugh learn from the best.  Rudock if he was my son, would be best served by coming to Michigan and find out where you stand and if its not in the cards to make it at the next level you will know by the end of the year.  My tea leaves say he is coming here and will be the starter. 

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bacon

March 12th, 2015 at 4:34 AM ^

With all due respect to the other QBs on the Michigan roster, if he can't win the starting job next year for Michigan, he should not be thinking about playing in the NFL. Either way, a grad degree from Michigan (or one year) is a better consolation prize than he's going to get anywhere else, in the likely event that his NFL career isn't successful.

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Sac Fly

March 11th, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^

Iowa and the Greg Davis offense was very much a square peg, round hole situation. I would be interested in seeing what he could do in a new offense.

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Perkis-Size Me

March 11th, 2015 at 10:29 AM ^

I doubt he'll come here. Not that he couldn't hack it or anything, but he's got one year left to play, and I'm sure he still has the NFL on his mind. I'd be shocked if he wants to do it somewhere where he's going to have to ride the bench, regardless of what he's getting his graduate degree in. He's going to want there to be a reasonable chance that he starts, and Harbaugh isn't going to guarantee him anything.

He'd be one of five viable options between him, Malzone, Speight, Gentry and Morris. My guess is he wants to go somewhere where he'll have better odds. Again, that's not saying he can't hack it here, but from a pure probability standpoint, he might stay away and go somewhere with a less crowded depth chart. But he's got plenty of meaningful game experience, which none of our guys can say they have, so what do I know?

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Magnus

March 11th, 2015 at 10:31 AM ^

He's not guaranteed anything anywhere.

By all accounts, the interest in playing for Michigan started with Rudock. This is not a case where Harbaugh went out searching for him. So I don't know how you can be so sure that he won't come here when Rudock is the one who reached out in the first place.

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Perkis-Size Me

March 11th, 2015 at 12:14 PM ^

I know he's not going to get a guarantee anywhere, but all I was saying is that he might want to go somewhere where the odds of him playing are more reasonable, just purely from a depth chart standpoint. I'm guessing the thought of the NFL is lingering somewhere in his mind, and maybe he only wants to have to try and beat out 2-3 guys on a depth chart vs. 4-5. 

Of course, I have no idea what's going on inside Rudock's head, and if med school is what he wants, its going to be hard for any other school to beat out Michigan for his services. Unless he decides to give up football and go to Johns Hopkins.

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wildbackdunesman

March 11th, 2015 at 10:05 PM ^

"IF" he truly does have the NFL on his mind like you suggest- then Michigan is his best bet.

#1 He has good stats, but not quite NFL draft stats at the moment - so he needs to improve.

#2 Harbaugh and his staff have tons of NFL experience and would likely improve him.  If they did improve him, NFL teams would note that he has already essentially had "NFL coaching."

#3 A small part of the draft is "image" and if he could come to Michigan, win the starting job, put together a nice season and nice stats the media would take notice and hype him...that would improve his image and NFL stock far more than going to a small school with little media attention and putting up better stats against lesser competition.

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