Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh showed up for Big Ten Media Day in his usual garb … khakis, Michigan hat and blue Nike Jumpman sweatshirt. He has high hopes for his 2017 Wolverines despite huge personnel losses.
Setbacks down the stretch at Iowa and Ohio State, along with the Orange Bowl to Florida State — all of which were lost at the very end — have motivated his team in the offseason, he said.
“It leads us to coach better, play better, train harder,” he said. “Put more of our heart into it.”
The quarterback competition is real, Harbaugh said. Redshirt junior Wilton Speight is in a three-way tie for the starting job heading into the fall.
“Wilton is in a good spot,” Harbaugh said. “He comes in really tied for first with John O'Korn and Brandon Peters. Literally through competition and out of spring through 15 practices, it’s a dead heat. They all did some good things.
“Brandon really shot up, and John O'Korn played consistently good, Wilton had some impressive moments, as well. We'll go through camp Monday, throw balls out and let them compete.”
Those who worked hardest in the summer will likely rise to the top, he added. “It’s like a kicker ... there's a lot a quarterback can do in the summer you can do. You can throw into a net, work on their drops,” he said. “You don't need other players to be out there to improve some part of their skill game. “We'll see what's transpired over the summer and see who has gotten better. We’ll see who gives our team the best chance to score touchdowns, put points on the board. It will probably take about eight to 15 practices to figure that out. Historically, that's what it usually takes.”
Freshman Class Already Impressing
Ten freshmen arrived early and worked through spring, and all of them impressed, Harbaugh said.
“I feel good about the team,” he said. “Start with our second newest guys, the freshmen that came mid-year. Those are 10 that have really flourished, did exceedingly well in spring. It makes me think the 19 guys that came in this summer will do just as well ... they’re the same type of good players in high school that the 10 were.”
He’s high on the sophomores, too, ripping off names like defensive end Rashan Gary, running back Chris Evans, guard Michael Onwenu, cornerback Lavert Hill, linebacker Devin Bush and tight end Sean McKeon, “very talented players that played as true freshmen.” He expects the huge frosh to soph leap from all of them.
He also mentioned receiver Nate Schoenle and redshirt sophomore/juniors Tyrone Wheatley, Jon Runyan, Grant Perry, Keith Washington, Rueben Jones and seniors/fifth-year guys Chase Winovich, Mo Hurst, Speight, Mike McCray, Bryan Mone, Mason Cole as guys who are hungry for more.
“Those guys in particular that were in games last year, they were there. When we won nine straight games they would high five in the locker room after the game, and they were also there when we lost three of the last four ... they know what it feels like,” he said. “They like the feeling of the high five better than the other … maybe that's going to motivate them even more this year.”
Notes
• Harbaugh said Gary and Hurst have handled the added media attention and expectations well.
“It's been overdue,” he said of Hurst. “He’s enjoying that people are appreciating what he does as a player, brings to the team ... even on our own team. It drives him to be even better. He's had that license and ability to be really great. We appreciate the heck out of him. He’s got a chance to be really good.
“Rashan … .was a top recruit coming out of high school with a lot of hype and adulation. Some people live for that approval, recognized as a hyped up player. Then other players see that hype and go by it like it's an orange cone on the side of the road. They aspire for greater things than the adulation. Rashan is that type of guy.”
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @BSB_Wolverine, @JB_ Wolverine, @AustinFox42 and @Balas_Wolverine
• Like us on Facebook
