Jim Harbaugh might be the "quarterback whisperer", but for the second consecutive season, there is uncertainty at the position for the Michigan Wolverines. Harbaugh now famously waited until the offense ran onto the field in the 2015 season opener to publicly declare Jake Rudock as his starting quarterback, and in 2016, there is a competition brewing as the Maize and Blue begin training camp.
Steve Kornacki of MGoBlue.com spoke with Harbaugh earlier in the week, and over the course of that discussion, the head coach revealed that the competition is likely a two-horse race between Houston transfer John O'Korn and junior Wilton Speight.
"They're two front-runners coming out of spring practice, competing for the job. The thing I like about both of them is how important it is to both young men and the competitive situation that they are in that they are embracing."
When asked if Harbaugh preferred a defined front-runner, Harbaugh was notably coy:
"In the last four months they have been working with the team and working on their own. We'll see where that's at starting tomorrow. I'll prefer answering that question down the road."
Passing game coordinator Jedd Fisch was quick to point out that veteran left-hander Shane Morris was still part of the race, but for all intents and purposes, it looks to be a showdown between O'Korn and Speight. During the 2015 season, O'Korn operated Michigan's scout team with a high level of success, leading many to pencil him in as the team's starter moving forward. After all, he exploded for more than 3,000 yards in his debut at Houston before transferring, and O'Korn is much more explosive and athletic than the incumbent in Speight.
However, Speight displayed a steady hand in leading the Wolverines on a game-winning drive against Minnesota (with an injured Rudock on the sideline) and the 6-foot-6 quarterback might have a better pure arm than O'Korn. Regardless of the "winner", this battle seems destined to rage on deep into August and, potentially, all the way until Michigan opens the 2016 season against Hawaii on Sept. 3 in the Big House.
