Michigan redshirt junior quarterback Wilton Speight has dropped 23 pounds and is coming off a season in which he threw for more than 2,500 yards with 18 touchdowns. He’s learned plenty in the last year, he said, and is ready to take his game to the next level.
The Wolverines are in their ‘battle rhythm,’ Speight reported, and making great progress.
“The team’s looking good. The offense is coming together nicely,” he said.
“One thing Coach [Jim Harbaugh] talked about in his first meeting as head coach at Michigan was being in the battle rhythm of waking up at the same time every day, getting breakfast in, work out, school … just eat, sleep football, school, repeat. It just gets repetitive to where your body builds a callous to it.”
The game of football has made more sense the second time around, he added, alluding to his perceived second year as a starter (even if he won’t admit it, noting it’s still a battle).
“Saying that, there are younger guys we’re bringing along. Helping lead that way is probably where I would have been [better than] last year,” he said. “I think I feel more comfortable, but at the same time I don’t, because that’s Coach Harbaugh’s mission, I think. To make sure we feel uncomfortable at all times.”
That includes drills, in the pocket, during blitz period, whenever … making sure the QBs can’t sit back comfortably without any stress.
“It’s how he’s been ever since I got here,” Speight said. “I wasn’t really expecting anything less.
“I’m feeling the same as last year, probably the same with all the QBs. Everyone is playing great ball, completing passes and leading the offense well. We hit the ground running, but every day is better than the last. That’s coach’s motto. We try to avoid the hiccups, the one step backward … I’m happy with the progress I’ve made, the offense and the whole team.”
He also feels healthier, and the game has slowed down even more, he added.
“I feel good about the work I’ve put in, as I’m sure all the quarterbacks do,” he said. “We’ll take it day by day.”
NOTES
Speight said the young and veteran receivers have looked very good in practice.
“From the young pups that just got off the high school field last fall to Mo Ways, Grant Perry and the older guys,” he said. “That’s really encouraging … we feel really good about that unit.”
• Fifth-year senior Pat Kugler seems to have a handle on the starting center position.
“Pat’s taken tremendous strides. He’s damn near a coach on the field with his football mind,” Speight said. “He’s just a savvy player. He doesn’t really have any physical attributes that are going to wow you, but makes up for that with how sharp he is on the field, his calls at the line of scrimmage.
“We’ve done a good job communicating at the line of scrimmage, where to go with the line calls and all that stuff.”
• Losing 23 pounds was not easy, Speight admitted.
“I just got really strict with my diet,” he said. “I only really ate animals, things that grew from the ground. Stayed away from processed foods, stuff like that. Became really strict with it, upped the cardio a little bit.
“I feel a lot quicker coming from under center, being able to finesse under the pocket, maybe get more than two or three yards like I did last year. We’ll see.”
• Freshman Dylan McCaffrey has made an impact as more than just a quarterback.
“He’s brought a lot on and off the field, football wise, not football,” Speight said. “He’s just a happy kid all the time. He’s always bringing random facts to the quarterback meeting room before we start about animals. He’s really into nature, which is awesome. He’s just like my middle brother … just a random fact about nature in Colorado or something.
“He’s super smart. I can see why all the coaches around the country wanted him to come play quarterback. He brings that mental side of life out on to the football field, and it translates really well.”
• Juwan Howard and Jimmy King met with the team today. There have been rumblings they will be honorary captains this year.
“Actually, we just had some of the Fab Five guys talk to us about being comfortable being uncomfortable,” Speight said. “It’s a motto coach Harbaugh lives by, coaches by. It’s working well for us.
“What blew me away … we grew up watching those guys and they’re legends around here. Juwan came up to me and was like, ‘can I get a picture with you? My son’s going to love this.’ I said absolutely.
“I didn’t want to act too shocked, but that’s the Fab Five, you know? That was a cool moment.”
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