Fall Camp Notes: QB Battle is Real
Steve Lorenz of 247 is reporting that...
The quarterback battle "is real" and is "far more intense than last year".
He has some other fall camp tidbits, but the article is paywalled, so I won't mention them here. Needless to say, though, I'm very surprised by this development. Hopefully this means that Peters is performing above expectations, rather than that Speight is regressing or plateauing.
August 2nd, 2017 at 12:43 PM ^
I think Harbaugh is going to play the best guy. Kaepernick brought the 49ers to within a yard of a Super Bowl win, so I think Harbaugh made a good choice.
August 2nd, 2017 at 12:37 PM ^
Jim McElwain and Doug Nussmeier want to feature a Wildcat quarterback. Kadarius Toney and Malik Zaire are both dual-threat quarterbacks and have been getting early snaps with the first group. Feleipe Franks and Luke Del Rio have been standing to the side. The local media is beginning to focus on Zaire vs. Franks and how it could divide the team. On offense this is a young team without a clear QB leader.
August 2nd, 2017 at 12:38 PM ^
August 2nd, 2017 at 12:43 PM ^
August 2nd, 2017 at 12:47 PM ^
Here's something I genuinely wonder about: How much of the "competition" talk last season was due to the rumors, and how much of it was readers like us working from the presupposition that O'Korn was the next starter? My recollection (and it is fuzzy) is that a lot of the rumors emphasized that Speight was for real. I know that, for me at least, I read that as "Speight is up there with O'Korn, since I know O'Korn is for real, since we figure he's the next starter."
I have no idea and no easy way to check this. If we had gone into last fall believing that Speight was the guy, would the Speight chatter have told us that he was running away with it?
I remember at the end of the offseason last year umbig11 said all signs pointed towards JOK starting, and then he corrected himself and said Speight would be the starter. That made it seem like it was definitely a close competition.
The difference between this year and last is that we now have a QB who started every game last season for us with the exception of IU when he was injured. Going into 2016 OhCorn had experience but in a different uniform. The rumors could have legs, but Speight has a presumed advantage.
August 2nd, 2017 at 12:45 PM ^
Last year our offense had a lot of seniors in the skill positions and Wilt could be a game manager type of QB. This year all those positions are manned by Freshmen and Sophmores and the coaches are probably expecting a lot more out of the QB, maybe Speight just isn't capable of giving them that... Or it could be we have a new offensive coordinator and what you did last year was just that, last year. I'd love to have a superstar QB this year!
August 2nd, 2017 at 12:54 PM ^
On the other hand, offensive line was the weakest link on either side of the ball last year. Speight made his share of mistakes, but there were also too many instances in which he was running for his life or had a linebacker in his face two seconds after the snap. I think that, despite the loss of three starters, the O-line is poised for improvement this year due to Frey and the fact that, for the first time, every single O-lineman in the rotation will have spent more time in the Harbaugh regime than in the Hoke regime. And Speight (along with the RBs) should be the main beneficiary of that improvement. Or at least I hope. Please, God.
August 2nd, 2017 at 12:52 PM ^
August 2nd, 2017 at 12:55 PM ^
Didn't Lorenz say in this thread that he was using sources to provide this info, rather than his own analysis?
August 2nd, 2017 at 12:59 PM ^
I don't either, but Steve has actually responded in this thread. The key part (emphasis mine):
I do what I can to not cheat readers by posting something unless it's from someone I feel like has a legit feel for things. Two days in or not, it's been a battle since the spring, so you can take what you want from it.
That reads to me that he is relying upon a source rather than his own analysis. Presumably a source he believes can tell what's going on.
Take it for what it's worth.
I see no speculation here;)
August 2nd, 2017 at 12:54 PM ^
Speight will be the starter, as well he should be.
Hopefully Peters is #2 and get's adequete PT this year.
If Peters is ready, I have no problem him playing the occasional series, but no way he or O'Korn start the season #1.
August 2nd, 2017 at 12:57 PM ^
You don't know any more than the rest of us here. I'll never understand why people have this need to make absolute statements like this. "Harbaugh will never coach Michigan", "he isn't leaving the NFL", and so forth and so on.
Make a prediction, fine, but don't speak as if you're some Tiny Jesus or something.
That Dylan can flat out BAWL!!!! Y'all heard it here 1st
Haha, how many heads would explode if Dylan ran out for the first series against Florida? The mgo-reaction/hysteria would be priceless.
This is wrong, and in fact it's about to be ALEX MALZONE'S time to shine!
Meritocracy... Go Blue.
Speight, please improve accuracy AND learn to hit some of the easier routes. If it's Peters (?) develop your man-voice AND learn to assert yourself in the huddle!
Cool, then I'm fine with whatever that decision is.
I mean the Spring game is a joke and the results have no bearing on anything. The other thing to remember is our DB's know the plays we are running in practice, them jumping a route they know is coming is not really anything to worry about.
Wilton Speight had Michigan 9-0 and ranked 2nd in the nation last year before getting injured at Iowa.
Michigan then lost 3 games by a total of 5 points.
It was Don Brown, Michigan's defense and Michigan special teams (punt returns) that won those 10 games.
Quarterback is probably the area of least concern for Michigan with Speight, Peters and O'Korn returning.
Speight is going to be starter unless he is hurt or we learn that Peters is the second coming of Tom Brady.
Not impossible, just very unlikely.
But pre-season drama? Sure, why not? What ever would we do without it?
This about sums up my feelings on the topic. Well said.
August 3rd, 2017 at 10:04 AM ^
I hope this is the case and this means there will be a fully competant backup available. I'm tired of seeing the backup QB come in and look like he hasn't been prepared or shouldn't even see the field.
Might others more recent, but Brian Griese beat OSU in 1996 as a second-stringer.
1989 -- Elvis Grbac started against ND for an injured Michael Taylor. Elvis was impressive, even in a losing effort, and he went on to be one of M's greats at that position.
2004 -- Freshman QB Chad Henne stepped in when the heir-apparent, Matt Gutierrez, was physically unable to play. Chad was a little shaky in that first game, but still led the team to a win against Miami of O on the way to a 9-3 record and a Rose Bowl bid, in which M lost by a last-second FG to a very good Texas team.
But worth noting that Peters has as much game experience and time under Harbaugh as Speight had this time last year.....Still think Speight wins the job though
Go watch this video of Brandon Peters highlights from the sping game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbdTBxD4PdE
...then watch Wilton's highlight tape from the 2016:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POZIscqNXVI
...and tell me whether you still believe there's a QB controversey. They will battle, Peters will do very well, and Wilton will win. That's the way it is guys.
Even though it is hard to use the spring game as solid evidence, I believe there are a few good points to take away from it. Peters has flashes of greatness...but needs polishing. The one thing that sticks out to me like a sore thumb is how he handles pressure. He just isnt there yet. I have a feeling if he starts for us this season we will see a fair amount of that pick around the 4 minute mark.
Speight on the other hand, handles pressure like a champ. Give Peters another year under Harbaugh and Ill be on board.
Awesome, glad to hear the battle is real at the beginning of camp. After that, I am happy with not finding out who the starter is until right before kickoff. No need for interstitial speculation.
Speight will have had to of regressed a ton for Peters to win this job. Prior to the injury last season he legitley looked like a mini Big-Ben on the field.
"timeshare continues into the next few games"
Doesn't sound like Harbaugh. He will pick one guy and stick with him, unless he is doing really poorly.