Michigan Football: Wolverines sticking with the quarterbacks on hand

We haven’t heard any rumors about a transfer portal quarterback potentially Ann Arbor bound, and most have chosen their desired destination, which means Michigan football is rolling with those already on the roster.

It’s already been an incredibly long offseason, or, at least, it seems that way. A month has passed since the last time the Michigan football took the field, and that’s a month longer than any college football fan wishes to tolerate. Without a choice, however, we must suffer through the grueling spring and summer, hoping, once again, for another glorious return to the gridiron in the fall.

Speaking of the fall, you must wonder what Michigan football will we see? And more importantly, who will replace Shea Patterson?

As other teams toe the line with those currently on their roster while exploring their options in the transfer portal, the Wolverines have shown little desire to acquire the talents of a QB with ‘starter’ written all over him.

Michigan’s refusal to breach the confidence of the backups by seeking outside assistance is not because the market was bare. Justin Rogers from TCU is trading in his Hornfrog outfit to become a UNLV Rebel. Rogers, according to his high school ranking, was the top QB available.

Auburn’s Joey Gatewood, whose playing style is reminiscent of Tiger great Cam Newton, will be traveling north to become Kentucky Wildcat.

To round out the top three, per 247 sports rankings, KJ Costello, the man with arguably the most promise, had a down year following a career-high 3,540 yard Jr season. The Bulldogs convinced KJ to leave SoCal and head east to Mississippi.

Michigan, well aware their senior leader was headed for graduation and the draft, opted out of the arms race for the next great Joe Burrow or Jalen Hurts and is, instead, working with what they have.

Recent history tells us not to believe in that strategy

Only one team pulled it off and made it all the way to the College Football Playoff in 2019 headlined by a QB from within.

Justin Fields left Georgia for Ohio State.

Jalen Hurts departed Alabama for Oklahoma.

And Joe Burrow was a Buckeye until Coach O came calling.

Clemson’s powerful passing attack, led by sophomore Trevor Lawrence, didn’t seek help from the college football’s free agency as they already landed a generational talent. Once Trevor’s gone, however, should Dabo fail in his mission to recruit Lawrence 2.0, believe me, he’ll also be dipping his hand into the honeypot, praying for LSU type success.

As common as it has become in the current climate, pulling from a natural resource such as the portal isn’t going to bring shame upon a program. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. 99% of a school’s football fanbase just wants to win. They want to hang banners, host parades, and all of the other things that come with winning a title.

What we can surmise is that coach Jim Harbaugh and his coaching staff aren’t seeking titles by portal – at least not this season.

That could be because of one of two factors.

Either Dylan McCaffrey, Joe Milton, or Cade McNamara have a full vote of confidence to jump under center, or no quarterback was interested in the cold weather. The latter is the less likely which leaves us with the coach’s confidence.

Positional coach Ben McDaniels has almost certainly prepared for this moment, forecasting who’s QB2 and QB3. By the numbers, Dylan slid right behind Patterson and was a semi-regular presence after the Ole Miss transfer hurt himself as he fumbled after an odd tackle during the Middle Tennessee State debacle.

Milton, on the other hand, is an interesting candidate and he has the ability to run, punish tacklers with his size, and punish the receiver’s hands with his throws. Milton may need some control and he’s not as accurate as some would like, nor does he have the touch required for certain moments of the college game.

Cade is the unknown is this scenario. He’s a highly recruited athlete out of Nevada where he worked his way up the rankings list all the way to the seventh pro-style gunslinger. His four-stars and a 9052 composite score are mostly what we have to go on.

Matt’s musings

Of course, the offseason isn’t over, it just began, but as the days pass, so do the opportunities. Jarren Williams, Jack Sears, Jack Allison, and a few others haven’t disclosed where they’re headed.

For the most part, however, the top candidates are already on their way to their new destination, and UM is left with those present. That’s not necessarily a bad strategy; it breeds confidence with the players and it tells recruits that the coaching staff won’t make unexpected backhanded deals that are career-changing and sometimes (cough Tate Martell cough) seem career-ending.

With that in mind, you have to ask yourself: are any of the quarterback candidates capable of vaulting UM past Ohio State and taking them to not only a Big Ten Title but also a playoff appearance?