Michigan Football: The pros and cons of a Wilton Speight return
It was reported Thursday that if the circumstances were right, Wilton Speight would consider returning to Michigan football. Is that a good thing or not?
Outside of recruiting, there isn’t a ton of interesting news around this time of year. But Thursday, Michigan football fans were treated to some, thanks to some rumors surrounding former starting quarterback Wilton Speight.
Speight, who announced earlier this offseason that he intended to transfer to another graduate program and play a fifth year somewhere else, is reportedly considering a return to Michigan.
The news was first reported by the Detroit Free Press and comes on the heals of a report that Speight was going to take his time deciding where to transfer. It seems that with the uncertainty Michigan football has at quarterback, he may have changed his mind.
There is obviously a lot of conjecture. Another source, Adam Biggers, said the move wasn’t likely.
Yet, the Free Press also reported that head coach Jim Harbaugh was open to the move. But as far as Speight goes, his decision would be based off Shea Patterson. If Patterson is ruled ineligible, Speight might entertain the idea, otherwise it’s really not likely.
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For the Wolverines, if Patterson can’t play, having Speight wouldn’t be the worst thing. As a starter, Speight was 10-3 at Michigan. He also threw 22 touchdown passes and just 10 interceptions. At the very least, he was better than John O’Korn. Heck, he beat out Brandon Peters too.
After the way Peters played in the Outback Bowl, he is no longer the favorite to win the starting job. Many see Patterson as that guy. But if Patterson can’t play next season, then it’s a battle between Peters, Dylan McCaffrey and Joe Milton. Adding Speight to that mix might not be a bad thing.
At the very worst, it would give Michigan football a veteran backup, a guy that knows how to win games, even if it’s ugly at times. Speight also knows the system and should be able to jump in without missing a beat.
The downside is his presence could hinder the development of a younger quarterback. Maybe it’s time to turn it over to McCaffrey or Peters if Patterson can’t play. Would having Speight take their place for a year really help the program?
Having him around as a backup would be fine. But I’d much rather see McCaffrey start if Patterson has to sit. That’s just my opinion. As far as Speight goes, there are pros and cons to a return.
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Yet, if Patterson is unable to play in 2018, the positives probably outweigh the negatives. With that being said, it seems like a long shot.