If Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines are going to get back into contention for the Big 10 next year, he'll have to succeed somewhere Brady Hoke repeatedly failed: the quarterback position.
Michigan has talented quarterbacks on the roster, but none are proven quantities at this point. Let's take a look at each of Michigan's options, then give our take on who ends up starting under center next fall:
The Favorite: Shane Morris
Morris has by far the most game experience of any of Michigan's QB options. Unfortunately, the former four-star recruit hasn't exactly lit it up for the Wolverines so far - in 8 games (only three where he saw extended minutes), Morris has completed 49% of his passes for no touchdowns and five interceptions.
It's important to remember that on several occasions, injuries forced Michigan to throw Morris into the deep end before he was ready. He'll enter the competition as the favorite because of his experience, but he'll have to show coaches how far he's come if he doesn't want his past mistakes to count against him.
The Underdog: Wilton Speight
Speight is a three-star behemoth who managed not to burn his redshirt last season despite all of Michigan's injuries. 6'6 but surprisingly mobile, Speight has an interesting collection of pros - size, mobility, athleticism - and cons - arm strength, technique, the fact that he was recruited by Al Borges.
It's hard to get a read on where Speight is relative to Morris right now, but he stood out in several practices last fall and coaches spoke highly of his potential. Definitely not the favorite, but someone to keep a very close eye on once spring practices get rolling.
The Freshman: Alex Malzone
Malzone enrolled early, so he won't be starting from scratch next fall...and there are plenty of folks who've seen him play who think he has a higher ceiling than Morris and Speight. A four-star pro-style QB from Bloomfield Hills, MI (Brother Rice), Malzone is accurate, makes great reads, and he's surprisingly quick on his feet.
While it's unlikely that Malzone does enough to unseat Morris, Jim Harbaugh isn't going to keep him on the bench if he thinks he'll give Michigan a better chance to win games. If this kid wants to start as a true freshman, the slim pickings in front of him mean it's in his power to make that happen.
The Super-Senior: Russell Bellomy
Injuries have severely limited Bellomy's progression, with a torn ACL keeping him out for the entire 2013 season. Bellomy is not expected to be a serious contender for the starting job.
The Verdict:
As things currently stand, this race is wide open. We'd give Morris the edge, but watch out for Wilton Speight - he's spent time working with renowned QB guru Steve Clarkson, and while Morris has a slightly better arm, Speight is bigger and much harder to bring down.
One thing about Jim Harbaugh - he isn't afraid to make controversial moves if they'll make his team better. Alex Smith was having a great season when Harbaugh pulled him for Colin Kaepernick, and while the move was shocking at first, no one was complaining after Kaepernick took the 49ers all the way to the Super Bowl. If Harbaugh thinks a true freshman gives him the best chance to win football games...well, that's who he'll start.
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