Assuming Patterson starts, a Harbaugh recruit will not have entered the season as a starter...after 5 years.
Gentry leaving got me thinking:
So far, Harbaugh has started (and we would all assume, next year plans on starting):
Rudock (Iowa transfer)
Speight (Borges recruit)
Patterson (Ole Miss transfer)
Also, his first QB off the bench in both 2016 and 2017 was O'Korn.
In the meantime, he personally has brought in 5 4* QBs...none who have played QB at any point other than as back-ups or garbage time.
Personally, I think each decision was defensible. Hoke/Borges were a disaster when it came to recruiting QBs, so wanting to bring in a few older guys (Rudock & O'Korn) to bolster the early years made sense. Also, having a former 5-star who was transferring not because he lost his job, but because of sanctions makes sense as well, especially after the Speight transfer and Peters' bowl performance.
However, I am starting to wonder if this has been a quick fix that trades short term success for long term success.
For instance, while I understand the need for Rudock in year one, if John O'Korn is not brought in, Brandon Peters is the back-up QB. How much quicker does he develop if that is the case? How much can you blame someone for being frustrated to be placed behind someone who, if we are being generous was...not good? Peters did not look bad behind an awful OL in 2017 and even played well against Wisconsin before being injured. His bowl performance was terrible, but I've heard he really didn't get full practice time beforehand and was probably not 100% coming off the injury.
Does someone like Gentry (https://mgoblog.com/content/hello-zach-gentry-updated) play QB? A 6'7" QB who can move? What does a QB battle of Speight, Gentry and Peters look like if the staff isn't forcing him to play TE?
And while Patterson was very good for most of the year...is he really ideal for the Harbaugh system? Don't the ideas of Peters, McCaffrey and Gentry fit more into the Harbaugh mold? Bigger QBs who can move (Luck, Smith, Kaepernick)? Once someone is the starter, they are often entrenched, so someone with more experience, such as Patterson is probably not relinquishing the job barring injury, thus setting back the other QBs who might be a better fit for Harbaugh's offense.
And how does it affect recruiting when none of your recruits actually...play?
I tried to do some research on how QB transfers affect programs, but there isn't much out there. I am curious to glean what the board thinks and if its unusual to go this long without one of your recruits starting at QB.
January 2nd, 2019 at 10:57 AM ^
Should add, I mean QB starter.
January 2nd, 2019 at 12:17 PM ^
Thank you for coming down here in the comments.
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:03 PM ^
Guess they can stop calling him the QB guru or QB whisperer ... He’s never been any of that he just got lucky with Andrew and Kaep caught the NFL off guard ...
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:25 PM ^
i don't know about "qb whisperer." i do know that he had something to do with jake rudock being an nfl draft pick, and with wilton speight having a productive season as a starter...i don't know that anyone saw that coming.
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:29 PM ^
Ruddock was the same QB he was at Iowa .He just got another year to show his talent .. Speight had 1 average year then regressed.He played with 2 good WRs as well
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:38 PM ^
man, your schtick is tired already, and it's only been a week and a half.
nothing sadder than someone who repeatedly gets their ass banned and repeatedly comes back to troll some more.
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:50 PM ^
Just because I have a different opinion than you doesn’t mean I’m trolling .. You like to praise the mediocre I don’t .. I understand my “schtick” rubs some the wrong way but ok
January 2nd, 2019 at 2:15 PM ^
well, you're right about one thing - having a different opinion doesn't make you a troll. being an unrelenting, constantly negative pain in the ass is what makes you a troll.
January 2nd, 2019 at 2:18 PM ^
Having a different opinion doesn’t mean you’re trolling, you being a troll and trolling means you’re trolling
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:44 PM ^
Statistics disagree.
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:59 PM ^
Stats show that every year he was starting in college he improved.. I’m not sure why you all want to make it seem like he was a bum and Harbaugh turned him into a top QB .. Harbaugh gave him another year and he continued his progression..
January 2nd, 2019 at 3:21 PM ^
He wasn't a bum, but he was a 5th year QB with experience that Iowa decided to demote for a younger, less experienced QB.
January 2nd, 2019 at 3:43 PM ^
A bum? No. Demoted despite starting and having another year of eligibility? Yes.
January 2nd, 2019 at 4:16 PM ^
Your comment on Ruddock is categorically, objectively, wrong
January 2nd, 2019 at 7:06 PM ^
It's Ruddddddddock!
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:37 PM ^
He was a "guru" before that:
Harbaugh coached starting quarterback Rich Gannon, who led the Raiders' run to Super Bowl XXXVII, won the 2002 AP NFL MVPaward, and was selected to the 2003 Pro Bowl after the 2002 season
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Johnson_(quarterback)
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:45 PM ^
You can’t give him a guru title for Rich Gannon when from Gannon was doing great with the Raiders prior to Harbaugh ..
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:59 PM ^
Pretty sure Rich Gannon himself credited Harbaugh, since his stats were much better in 2002, and after Johnson made it to the NFL is when Harbaugh was considered the "guru".
January 2nd, 2019 at 8:29 PM ^
Why are you still here? Moderators ?
January 3rd, 2019 at 12:50 PM ^
Yea that QB whisperer tag needs to go away.
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:49 PM ^
tl;dr for the whole thread:
* ScooterTooter is fixated on the universe where Gentry stays at QB. He believes that, in this universe, Gentry would win the job and prosper.
* ScooterTooter believes that a coach would willingly risk @#$&ing away a season just to play the long game and develop a young QB who would otherwise be 2nd/3rd/4th string.
January 2nd, 2019 at 3:29 PM ^
Holy shit. Can you please do this for every thread? Saved me a ton of time. Not that I would ever be able to find your post again on the new format, but this was terrific.
January 2nd, 2019 at 3:48 PM ^
Who was the reporter that ripped on Harbaugh for turning Gentry into a tight end? I think we found his mgoblog username here
January 2nd, 2019 at 10:59 AM ^
I don't even really know what "ideal for Harbaugh's system" looks like anymore. How would Andrew Luck have looked behind last year's line?
January 2nd, 2019 at 11:03 AM ^
I'll tell you, not very good.
January 2nd, 2019 at 11:09 AM ^
Probably similar to his 2016 season with the Colts when he was sacked 41 times and didn't play 2017 because he was hurt. Still put up good numbers though
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:16 PM ^
Andrew Luck was also the son of a former NFL QB, was groomed and coached by his father to play QB, and literally had identical NFL Combine numbers & measurements as Cam Newton.
Luck is the "ideal QB" for every single coach in College Football.
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:38 PM ^
There is no ideal QB for Harbaugh.. He needs to find a ideal offense that can thrive in college football
January 2nd, 2019 at 5:33 PM ^
Not sure, but probably in an ER somewhere eventually.
January 2nd, 2019 at 11:00 AM ^
That McCaffrey kid is kind of ok...
January 2nd, 2019 at 11:01 AM ^
I like Milton too. Very happy with what we have in the pipeline.
January 2nd, 2019 at 11:09 AM ^
We have no idea what McCaffrey will look like as a full time player. And Milton looks like he has a long long ways to go to be a good starter.
But the op is making a point I have questions about too. Harbaugh has taken 3 transfers who have gotten the Lion’s share of the PT. And what if he takes another QB transfer? If there’s a kid out there he likes he’ll go after him regardless of how he feels about the guys in the pipeline. How long until kids think twice about committing to us as a QB when a transfer will likely start?
January 2nd, 2019 at 11:12 AM ^
Seems like it's already started. Weren't we supposed to get that Bailey kid who ended up going to Tennessee of all places?
January 2nd, 2019 at 12:28 PM ^
....being a Life Champion is looking better and better all the time.
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:00 PM ^
Running back too! We were supposed to get Eric Gray and he ended at Tennessee of all places.
January 2nd, 2019 at 11:15 AM ^
Let's cross that bridge if he takes another transfer. Pulling Rudock and O'Korn was a no-brainer, we had Speight on the roster and tumbleweeds. Obviously putting Gentry at Tight End worked out, he just declared early and is going to be a fairly high pick. McCaffrey is in line to start as a redshirt Junior which is kind of ideal.
We have a lot of problems but I don't think the QB pipeline is one of them.
January 2nd, 2019 at 11:34 AM ^
Agree completely.
Taking transfers to shore up QB depth was essential. Hoke and Borges/Nuss left nothing behind but the ghost of Shane Morris and a who-the-hell-is-that Wilton Speight.
And maybe we got spoiled by Henne and Denard, but a 3+ year starter at QB is relatively rare for a pro style team. QB is a HARD position.
[There's a debate to be had here about the benefits of an Urban-style system of "have athletes make plays" which can lend itself to young QBs, but we can do that later)
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:43 PM ^
Lets also not act like this is a different time in CFb. Before, high end QBs didn't transfer. Now they do. Every off season, at least one or two experienced QBs are available. If you can get a proven commodity at QB, you do it. In fact OSU may do it this year. And how many young 5 star can't miss kids not live up to the hype? McCaffrey looks real good so far and I think he is the real deal... but you never know
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:20 PM ^
We had no idea what Patterson would look like in this offense yet after seeing it I’m sure Dylan and Brandon could have equaled what he did and probably surpassed it... Point being give them a chance instead you recruit them then without giving them a legit shot you bring in someone to replace them
January 2nd, 2019 at 2:17 PM ^
They both have had a legit shot. Compete and win the job. Talk to Tom Brady about the results.
January 2nd, 2019 at 11:01 AM ^
So?
Does the NCAA give you a cookie if a kid you recruited starts the season?
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:24 PM ^
The get a cookie was such a 90s thing.
Bringing it back I see
January 2nd, 2019 at 1:52 PM ^
I prefer the term "culinary appropriation."
January 2nd, 2019 at 7:08 PM ^
The internet does not contain enough upvotes for this gem. I salute you, sir.
January 2nd, 2019 at 11:03 AM ^
I guess this assumes that Shea Patterson made a blood oath when he was 7 that, if he ever transferred from his first school in college ball, he had to go to Michigan, or else face the punishment of death. Otherwise people would wrongly think that after he left Ole Miss he was a free agent that schools had to recruit.
January 2nd, 2019 at 11:05 AM ^
You're right. People complain about Harbaugh going after transfer QBs, but I think this is just another example of him being at the forefront of college football (in some ways).
Harbaugh get's five star Shea to Michigan = "Why can't Harbaugh develop his own recruits?!"
OSU is targeting Georgia's transfer QB = "Damn, why can't we ever have nice things!!!!!!"
January 2nd, 2019 at 11:09 AM ^
Lol so true
January 2nd, 2019 at 11:42 AM ^
That's not the point.
To condense:
Does it harm the development of the recruits here?
Does bringing in a guy who is good, but might not be ideal for the offense you want to run stunt your long-term success by holding off a guy who might have a lower initial floor but higher long-term ceiling?
Does it affect recruiting if your recruits never play? I know, someone said "But Oklahoma!". Sure. But Oklahoma's QBs have won conference titles, played in the playoffs and won Heismans. Baker Mayfield was the #1 overall draft pick. Slight difference between the success rates.
January 2nd, 2019 at 11:58 AM ^
Does it hurt recruiting? Possibly. Look at the QBs that Harbaugh has landed since Dylan. They're a clear step down (sorry Milton). Does it harm development? Probably not, since starting a QB too soon can ruin them mentally. Does it stunt our long term success? Possibly, but no more than getting ruined by OSU in the biggest game of the year.
January 2nd, 2019 at 12:08 PM ^
The original post is really picking the fly shit out of pepper. Who cares? The gross deficiency in QB at the time Harbaugh took a job made a transfer mandatory. Period. Then you have a transfer that was the number one or two QB recruit in the country express interest in coming to Michigan, and now you’re expressing doubt that Harbaugh can develop quarterbacks? Doesn’t matter how good a mechanic you are, you can’t turn a VW bug into a competitive Formula 1 car.