BTN: Fun Takes from UM practice

Submitted by Wee-Bey Brice on
On the rise: Wilton Speight. The 6-6, 243 pound junior QB looked good for most of practice, showing just enough niftiness with his feet along with a strong arm.
Best drill: Wideouts were forced to sprint five yards, pickup a tennis ball, cut to the right and catch a ball. The ultimate test of dexterity and focus.
All eyes are on the QB spot, just like last season. There isn’t a lot of experience on the depth chart. But Houston transfer John O’Korn has starting experience. He is battling Wilton Speight and Shane Morris with O’Korn and Speight leading the way. In the end, I wouldn’t be shocked if Speight lands the job.

I also have a sneaky suspicion that Speight wins the job. I like O'Korn because he raises the ceiling of the offense but I just get a feeling Speight is the steady hand that'll win Harbaugh over.

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ghostofhoke

August 16th, 2016 at 7:58 PM ^

They're showing practice video now. I love the helmets. What a great call that was going to the matte type finish. It's not totally flat but they look awesome with the dark Riddell flap on the back instead of white. So sweet



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Joined: 11/21/2014

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CoverZero

August 16th, 2016 at 8:36 PM ^

O'Korn has happy feet and throws the ball all over the yard.  You guys who think that he is good need to look at his tape.  He simply is not that accurate.  Harbaugh QBs must be accurate.

All signs point to Wilton Speight.  Look for Brandon Peters to come on late in the year and get some playing time.  He has the highest upside of any QB on the roster and when he is ready, he will get some reps in garbage time.

Joined: 08/30/2014

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GoBlue519

August 17th, 2016 at 8:26 AM ^

Funny I had a dream last night that Peters was the starter for the opener.  It was a really weird dream, I was stuck in the big house and could not get to my seat in Section 36.  By the time I got there, the game was almost over and Peters was the QB.

Joined: 04/23/2016

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allintime23

August 17th, 2016 at 4:46 AM ^

Harbaugh knows better than anyone. If he goes with Speight than he's the best choice. I haven't seen O'korn but last year I heard time and time again he was the best quarterback on the team. I was hoping with his mobility and arm in Harbaughs system he would be special. It wouldn't be fall in Ann Arbor without the quarterback battle. In two weeks we find out.

Joined: 09/21/2009

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ND Sux

August 17th, 2016 at 8:28 AM ^

Harbaugh to make the right decision, but I must say, Speight's throwing motion seems awkward to me.  I like the scrambling upside with O'Korn too, but others have stated on this board that Speight is no statue.  May the best man win...can't wait for kickoff.

Joined: 10/01/2009

MGoPoints: 15650

Ghost of Fritz…

August 16th, 2016 at 10:00 PM ^

worked reasonably well against OSU before Rudock was injured.  And the offense did nothing with Speight as the QB in the 2nd half.  Maybe it was because the game was already over.  But it was probably that, at least last November, the drop off from Rudock to Speight was big. 

I would be shocked if either O'Korn or Speight (whichever wins the job) will be as good in early September as Rudock was last November. 

Whoever wins the job will improve over the course of the season (as did Rudock).  How much?  Impossible to predict.  Maybe they will get to the level of efficiency that Rudock achieved last in 2015.  But maybe not. 

Joined: 10/04/2014

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Rhino77

August 16th, 2016 at 9:31 PM ^

I can't count how many posts I saw with "depth chart" counting Speight out or having him "tranfered out." 

If that kid wins the job It will be becuase of hard work. He reminds me of Todd Collins a bit. The old UofM mold. 

Joined: 05/27/2011

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Ghost of Fritz…

August 16th, 2016 at 9:52 PM ^

much on what JH said (outstanding, very good, etc.) .

Think about the dog that did not bark--what JH did NOT say.

He was asked about the QBs and he declined to indicate who is the leader. 

JH himself does not have any firm sense of whether there is clear leader or who will win the job..  It is just 8 days into camp.  JH will start to set an ordering ofmthe QBs in his own mind much later in camp. 

Joined: 10/04/2014

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SysMark

August 16th, 2016 at 10:05 PM ^

If it's Speight you have to assume being less mistake prone wins out over more playmaking ability.  If so the offense probably has enough other firepower to justify that decision.  O'Korn would be a great option off the bench if necessary.

Great problem to have.

Joined: 11/15/2008

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blueblue

August 16th, 2016 at 11:52 PM ^

If it really does come down to low-variance game manager vs high variance gun slinger, I'm sure Harbaugh will go with the gunslinger: 1. We have 9 games we can win on our defense even if the quarterback is erratic, and we have 3 games in which we might just need some outstanding quarterbacking to win. 2. Who thinks Harbaugh will look at the rough edges of the more talented player and think, we can't fix that? 3. You gotta go with the high ceiling guy since you have most of the season to help him reach his ceing, you're the quarterback whisperer, and you're not aiming for a really good season, you're aiming for a national championship.

Joined: 03/25/2015

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Blue Balls Afire

August 17th, 2016 at 1:02 AM ^

Exactly!  Even with our great defense this year, if all goes well, we'll still need 35 points to beat OSU. Is Speight going to game-manage his way to 36 points in the Shoe?  Against that defense?  I'm not so sure.  We'll need a QB who can stretch the field some, keep the LB's honest against the pass, make a tight throw to extend a drive, take advantage of a blown coverage to shorten a drive, or even get us a quick strike, and give us one more possession per half than we would normally.  The marginal edge is razor-thin against OSU.  A game-manager isn't going to give us that edge.  

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Ty Butterfield

August 16th, 2016 at 11:48 PM ^

All the "trust the coaches" talk is a little funny. A lot of people were saying the same thing about Hoke and Gorgeous Al. It is entirely possible that Harbaugh still doesn't have the type of QB he wants. Both guys may be worse than Jake but Harbaugh has to choose one of them. This is why everyone needs to pump the breaks on the hype train. I certainly know that Harbaugh is a better coach than Hoke but it comes down to having a bunch of good QBs to choose from, and the roster just isn't there yet.

Joined: 09/07/2009

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yall know the school

August 16th, 2016 at 11:50 PM ^

I think that the numbers O'Korn put up at Houston might be misleading our perception of his abilities as a quarterback. No doubt, those were impressive numbers. They were also created with an offense that was designed to work that way. Another coach comes in and O'Korn sits. At Houston. That's not to say he's not a very good quarterback, and certainly could be excellent (see HARBAUGH, etc.), but maybe Speight is actually the more talented one. I truly don't think could go wrong, either way (see HARBAUGH, etc.).

Joined: 08/03/2014

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Frank Chuck

August 17th, 2016 at 2:08 AM ^

But I think he'll eventually develop into a NFL starting QB. I've believed in Speight since I saw his HS tapes.

(And I was one of the few guys laughing at posters who believed Speight would transfer simply because Harbaugh cursed at him in a practice.)

ETA: However, my top choice in the 2014 cycle was DeShone Kizer (now the starting QB of Notre Dame). Someone bumped an old thread from 2013-14 on 24/7 Sports where a number of us liked Kizer as our choice for QB in that class.

While Speight was handpicked by Borges (who has an undeniably awful track record at picking good QBs), I don't hold that association against Speight. Kirk Ferentz couldn't maximize Rudock's talent but Harbaugh did (in a few months time!). And Harbaugh's track record with QBs is reason for tremendous optimism.

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JOHNNAVARREISMYHERO

August 17th, 2016 at 12:53 AM ^

I enjoy reading your posts sir.  You have always responded to my questions.   I know you mentioned that you had O'Korn way ahead, then seemed to say its 1A and 1B, and now have O'Korn back ahead.   

Is O'Korn starting to step up?

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VauntedD

August 17th, 2016 at 4:49 AM ^

O'Korn has the ability to stretch plays with his feet or throwing on the move. Very reminiscent of Harbaugh when he played at Michigan. I believe he gives us the biggest opportunity to win against premier competition. He has significant game experience. He was lauded by players and coaches alike for his abilities in scout team while he sat out last year for transfer rules. If I Speight wins he certainly deserves it. If I was betting I would go with O'Korn.

Joined: 02/11/2015

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Mongo

August 17th, 2016 at 9:20 AM ^

I agree with the posts stating we need more than a game-manager QB to beat MSU, Iowa and OSU all on the road. That gauntlet is going to require our QB to stretch the field to get the run game going. It won't be the other way around because those defenses are built to stop the run. Our QB must have the arm strength to deliver accurate deep balls, scramble and make plays on the run, yet make solid decisions when to throw it away to avoid sacks or INTs. We need that guy come the gauntlet. Don't be surprised if Harbaugh pushes each into those high risk situations in real games (first two) to find out. Can Wilton take on the higher risk throws and be feared? Can John make the smart decision when the deep ball isn't there and check-down? I think Harbaugh will find/develop that guy and get him ready, like he did with Jake.

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