Michigan Wolverines football coach Jim Harbaugh appeared on The Rich Eisen Show this afternoon, discussing several topics involving his team and the impending 2020 season.
Eisen unsurprisingly asked Harbaugh about the state of the quarterback battle in the wake of Shea Patterson's graduation, and the U-M head man revealed what his signal-callers have been doing lately and discussed the amount of work they've all been putting in.
“We have some guys who are really loved and are champing at the bit," Harbaugh began. "We have guys who are excited to get back to working out with the team and back to practicing.
"Our quarterbacks in particular are champing at the bit, which is better."
Eisen then asked Harbaugh if the quarterback battle is an open competition, to which Harbaugh enthusiastically responded, "Oh yeah!"
Football coaches not being able to work with their players for such an extended period of time is something that hasn't been seen to this extent, though Eisen compared it to the 2011 lockout in the NFL that lasted 132 days.
Harbaugh admitted he learned several useful tips during that period, and has been "planning for different scenarios" in order to be as "creative and proactive, and then as productive as possible."
Technology has helped bridge the gap in America over the past two months, most notably in the form of online communication methods such as skype and zoom.
"With the quarterbacks, we’ve been having zoom meetings and installing football and have told the guys to learn the system as best they can," Harbaugh explained. "Then they can be an expert at it when we do get back together.
"I also told them to get in the best shape of their lives, and to throw the football every day. Each quarterback has done that and has taken advantage of it, having guys to throw to.
"[Redshirt junior] Dylan McCaffrey has been throwing with his brothers, Christian and Luke, in Denver. [Redshirt sophomore] Joe Milton has been in Orlando and came back to Ann Arbor with a bag of balls and is finding guys to throw with.
"[Redshirt freshman] Cade McNamara has his brother, who will be an incoming freshman receiver. They’re champing at the bit and asking what they can do, and getting coached.
"[Quarterbacks coach] Ben McDaniels has been coaching them up every day, going over footwork and all kinds of stuff. Hopefully we get better news in the next couple weeks as it relates to Michigan, and our governor will open up a little more so our guys can get back together and get in voluntary workouts.”
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