Three years. Still no answer.
Jim Harbaugh has gained a lofty reputation when it comes to developing quarterbacks. He spent 14 seasons in the National Football League and was voted to the Pro Bowl after leading the Colts to the playoffs in 1994. Certainly his time spent playing the position has carried over a bit and benefited on the coaching side of things.
Andrew Luck excelled under Harbaugh at Stanford. Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick both put together their finest seasons with Harbaugh at the helm in San Francisco. Smith had the league's third-best passer rating and led the NFL in completion percentage in 2012. His overall record as a starter was 19-5-1 under Harbaugh's tutelage. When Smith went down with a concussion, Kaepernick – who was only in his second season – took over and led the 49ers to the Super Bowl.
Current Oregon head coach Willie Taggart worked with the running backs when he coached under Harbaugh at Stanford. He learned to trust the former first-round draft pick when it came to his decision making.
"One thing coach Harbaugh will always tell you is, 'You know I'm right,' " Taggart said. "And nine times out of 10, he is right."
His tenure at Michigan, however, has thus far been lacking when it comes to quarterback play. One of the alleged "quarterback whisperers" is struggling to develop the most important position on the field. A position that is likely the Wolverines' biggest weakness heading into Saturday's showdown in Ann Arbor.
Redshirt freshman Brandon Peters took over in October and has started the Wolverines' last three games. Peters has been respectable but far from spectacular thus far, and he certainly has the potential to be Harbaugh's guy moving forward. The Indiana native remains in concussion protocol, and his status for this weekend seems to be very much up in the air.
Wilton Speight suffered three cracked vertebrae when the Wolverines faced Purdue back in September. As of this week, he's been practicing in a non-contact capacity and has yet to receive full medical clearance. Speight was the starter last year in Columbus as he fought through a shoulder injury and put together a decent performance. He completed 23 of 36 passes for 219 yards and two scores but also tossed a pair of crucial interceptions.
| Player | Class | Measurables | Completions/Yards | TDs | INTs | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilton Speight | RS Junior | 6-foot-6, 240 pounds | 44 of 81 (54.3%), 581 yards | 3 | 2 | 121.9 |
| John O'Korn | RS Senior | 6-foot-4, 211 pounds | 66 of 124 (53.2%), 761 yards | 1 | 5 | 99.4 |
| Brandon Peters | RS Freshman | 6-foot-5, 220 pounds | 37 of 64 (57.8%), 486 yards | 4 | 0 | 142.2 |
It looks like John O'Korn is on track to start Saturday, but it surely wouldn't be a surprise for Harbaugh to hold off on announcing anything until the waning moments before the game; much like he did in 2016. O'Korn has been Michigan's worst quarterback this season and has had an underwhelming career after transferring from Houston in 2015. He completed just two of eight passes for 19 yards in Madison last week.
O'Korn and Speight could both be gone after this season (Speight is a redshirt junior but is listed as a senior day honoree), so the odds are that Peters takes over in 2018. Dylan McCaffrey is on track for a redshirt season, but he was one of the country's most touted passers as a high school senior. The Wolverines have commitments from a pair of 2018 quarterbacks. Orlando's Joe Milton is a four-star who was highly sought after by a number of programs. Kevin Doyle is a less-heralded three-star from Washington D.C.
Mind blowing that were three years into the Jim Harbaugh era at UM and he still cant recruit even an average quarterback to play there.
— Brian Stone (@WatchTheStone) November 18, 2017
Michigan has recruited well in the trenches and at wide receiver. Former five-star Donovan Peoples-Jones is likely its top pass-catching weapon even as a true freshman. Still, the passing game has just been missing something, and it's obvious to most that the problem has been under center. Peters was able to provide a small spark – granted that was against Rutgers, Minnesota, and Maryland – but the play at the position has to be a real concern for the Wolverines.
Meanwhile, the Buckeyes have one of the country's most prolific quarterbacks and the question heading into 2018 will likely revolve around whether or not Urban Meyer will be able to hang onto a talented trio of underclassman; a trio that will be vying for the starting spot in the offseason.
A quick look back at the other quarterback signees under Harbaugh reveals a troubling trend. Alex Malzone was a four-star in the Class of 2015. His bio on the Wolverines' website isn't the most flattering thing for a player who was once one of the country's top prospects at the position.
Junior (2017)
• Saw snaps under center in the win over Minnesota (Nov. 4) but did not attempt a pass
• Named Scout Team Offensive Player of the Week for his role in helping the defense prepare for Indiana
Zach Gentry also signed with Michigan in 2015. The New Mexico native announced his pledge to the Wolverines following the Harbaugh hire, and he was actually ranked even higher than was Malzone. Rated as the nation's No. 8 pro-style quarterback, Gentry now suits up at tight end for the Maize and Blue.
Probably not the kind of whispering Wolverine fans were wanting to hear.
