Jim Harbaugh Not Revealing Plans For Starting Quarterback

Whoever Michigan’s starting quarterback will be, Jim Harbaugh is not ready to reveal him and most likely won’t until Saturday when the Wolverines play the Florida Gators.

Michigan Football: Don’t expect any big surprises at quarterback https://t.co/CsCLBb14Wx via @chatsports #GoBlue

— Chat Wolverines (@ChatWolverines) August 29, 2017

Speight vs. O’Korn

Michigan’s battle for the starting quarterback appears to be between Wilton Speight and John O’Korn. Speight has the edge in experience. As Michigan’s starting quarterback last year, Speight threw for 2,538 yards, 18 touchdowns and 7 interceptions on 62 percent passing. O’Korn does have experience as a quarterback, just not as Michigan’s quarterback. Before he came to Michigan, he was the quarterback for the Houston Cougars. As the quarterback for Houston in 2013, O’Korn threw for 3,117 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 58 percent passing. The next year, he struggled as he threw for 951 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions on 52 percent passing. In a reserved role with Michigan in 2016, O’Korn threw for 173 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions on 59 percent passing.

Jim Brandstatter, who does play-by-play for the Wolverines football team, said that O’Korn has been doing great in camp.

“Speight’s got the experience but O’Korn has had a great camp,” he said.

Confidence in Michigan

Despite the uncertainty at the quarterback position, Brandstatter seems to be confident in Michigan’s football team. The Wolverines lost a lot of starters, especially on the defensive side. But they have players who were in back-up roles last year who could have bigger roles this year, including former number one recruit Rashan Gary. It helps that Michigan has recruited very well the last two years, reeling in the number eight class in 2016 and the number five class in 2017, per 247sports.

Gators and Wolverines meet again

Florida and Michigan are no strangers to each other. The two played each other two years ago in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The Wolverines absolutely embarrassed the Gators 41-7. Florida has yet to reveal a starting quarterback and just like Harbaugh, head coach Jim McElwain is not saying much about it. Among possible starters are Luke Del Rio, who started for Florida last year, Malik Zaire, who transferred from Notre Dame, and Felipe Franks, who was a top-five pro-style quarterback coming out of high school in 2016, per 247sports.

Schedule

Florida and Michigan will play this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.