The Position: Quarterbacks
Competitors: Tate Forcier, Denard Robinson, Devin Gardner.
Tate Forcier enjoyed a terrific start to his freshman season, as the Wolverines started off 4-0 and Tate was heralded as a potential Heisman candidate. But a shoulder injury that nagged him all season slowed his progress down and he struggled down the stretch as Michigan faltered to a 1-7 finish.
Michigan actually played fairly well against arch-rival Ohio State despite being severely out-manned at a number of positions, but Forcier played one of his worst games on the season, throwing for 4 interceptions, being sacked for a safety, and fumbling the ball in a 21-10 loss. Still, Tate finished with a fairly solid season, throwing for 2,050 yards with 13 touchdowns, and rushing for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns.
At just 6"0, 185 lbs (generous), Tate will need to bulk up this off-season, and allow his ailing shoulder to heal. But considering he didn't work out often in high school, it should be no problem for him to play around 190-95 lbs in 2010.
Denard Robinson, on the other hand, was not expected to be the starter in 2009. He was a fantastic athlete recruiting by the likes of Florida, Georgia, Miami, and Ohio State - but not as a quarterback. Michigan was the only team to offer him that opportunity, and he took the most of it. At the beginning of the year Denard shocked the world on his first play from scrimmage, after he fumbled a snap on a reverse and turned it into a 43-yard touchdown run.
But running was just about all Denard could do. When he'd come into games Michigan would often run "Denard left" or "Denard right", and by the end of the year defenses were keyed into stopping him when he was on the field. In the passing game he struggled mightily, completing just 45% of his passes for 2 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, along with a number of fumbles.
If Denard is to stay at quarterback, he'll need to work on becoming more of a passing threat. It is expected that he'll stay there at least for this year, but don't be surprised to see Denard lined up in the slot or at running back for a few snaps a game; even if Tate is the starter full-time, Denard is just too good of an athlete to keep off of the field.
The x-factor in this competition is incoming freshman Devin Gardner. Now, Gardner hasn't even technically signed with Michigan yet, but it's possible he'll be enrolling early this week, meaning he'll have a chance to get in with the team for spring ball. Devin is an all-world talent; the top quarterback in the country according to rivals.com, with offers from essentially everywhere in the country.
Most people will be reminded of Vince Young when they look at the 6"4, 200 lb Gardner, who is an excellent runner with underrated passing skills. His throwing motion is still quite awkward, but his talent (and ceiling), is incredible. Where Tate Forcier is more of a finished product, Gardner is a project with so much potential.
My take on this situation is this: IF Gardner can get in for the spring and run the offense well enough, he should still redshirt. Tate is a perfectly capable quarterback who should make a solid jump going into his second year. And with Denard Robinson, Nick Sheridan, and Cornelius Jones (2010 recruit) in as quarterbacks, it's pivotal that Gardner's eligibility isn't wasted and he gets a chance to bulk up and learn the offense.
Now if Gardner emerges as the top option at quarterback and absolutely blows the other two away, then I'm all for him playing. There is no doubt he's a much better runner than Tate and has significantly stronger arm, but like I said before he is just a freshman, and we all saw the growing pains Tate went through this past year.
With that being said, I hope Gardner can get in for the spring, as that will really give him a leg up on learn the offense and getting stronger. But when it's all said and done, I hope Tate is the starter in the fall, and Gardner redshirts. Regardless, it will be an interesting battle to watch.
0 comments:
Post a Comment