Michigan Football should keep its options open at quarterback

Michigan football doesn’t necessarily need a transfer at quarterback, but the Wolverines should still keep their options open.

The quarterback position is a constant topic of conversation as far as the Michigan football team is concerned and with a new starter set to take over in 2020, get used to it.

The position will be talked about at length in the coming months as Dylan McCaffrey and Joe Milton get set for their battle to become the next starting quarterback for Michigan football, replacing Shea Patterson.

While it appears likely that one of those two players will take over as the starter, unless Cade McNamara mounts an unexpected challenge, there is always speculation about the transfer portal, especially with the recent success of quarterbacks that went from one school to another.

Just look at the College Football Playoff. Three of the four quarterbacks were transfers including Justin Fields, who was spectacular for Ohio State this past season and LSU’s Joe Burrow who won the Heisman.

Obviously, Ohio State was expecting a lot from Fields when he came and Oklahoma is no different when it brought in former Alabama starter Jalen Hurts. However, few expected Burrow to go to LSU and become the Heisman winner. So that’s why Michigan should keep its options open.

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Even if someone comes available that wouldn’t be able to start right away, the Wolverines should take a look at any quarterback that could reasonably help them in the future.

Of course, they need to be careful. The most important quarterback coming to Michigan football in the next year or so is 2021 commit J.J. McCarthy, the five-star quarterback and top-ranked player in the state of Illinois.

He’s the No. 2 quarterback in that class and he could be the elite quarterback that the Wolverines have been searching for since Jim Harbaugh took over as head coach. The QB play has certainly been better than it was under Brady Hoke, although Denard Robinson was pretty effective back in 2011.

Patterson won 19 games in two years and had one of the better statistical careers in Michigan football history. Jake Rudock also had a solid year in 2015. But those guys weren’t championship-level quarterbacks.

We don’t know yet if McCaffrey or Milton can be that either. Next season, one of them is expected to get a chance, but if someone comes available that U-M sees as a difference maker, the Wolverines have to pursue it.

College football is a dog eat dog world and when it comes to winning, no stone can be left unturned.