Do we look into the portal for qb depth?
February 18th, 2021 at 1:01 PM ^
Too bad this happened right after Carson Wentz got traded
February 18th, 2021 at 4:35 PM ^
We can still get Carson Welch! He's in the portal!
Might not quite be the same though.
February 18th, 2021 at 1:02 PM ^
I would, heck I'd have seconds. Then polish it off with a tall, cool budweiser.
February 18th, 2021 at 1:14 PM ^
LINDA HAM! Does your name make you hungry?
February 18th, 2021 at 5:10 PM ^
If the transfer portal was made of barbecue spare ribs, would you eat it then?
February 18th, 2021 at 1:05 PM ^
Somebody call Tate Forcier
February 18th, 2021 at 1:32 PM ^
pretty sure he is still local... tied up in a basement... ;)
February 18th, 2021 at 4:26 PM ^
Tate Martell have any transfers left in him...? Asking for a friend
February 18th, 2021 at 5:00 PM ^
What's everyone so nervous about? Vilari would be the second coming of John Navarre if only given the chance.
/s
February 18th, 2021 at 1:07 PM ^
Yep, time to look for the next great transfer cuz Jim can’t develop his own guys.
February 18th, 2021 at 1:48 PM ^
Or because we have three scholarship QBs. All three of which are freshmen of some variety. One of which would be at UMass if Michigan didn’t desperately need a QB shaped body late in the cycle.
This isn’t about getting the next great transfer QB or Harbaugh’s QB development. We simply need bodies there at this point.
Go grab a guy from the MAC or American that is semi-functional at QB and let Cade/JJ battle it out.
February 18th, 2021 at 4:41 PM ^
Even if that were true...my guess would be JJ McCarthy will be the first. One drill and Joe said bye. I hope Cade sticks around but my guess is JJ McCarthy is the truth! Sooner or later...
February 18th, 2021 at 6:04 PM ^
Next to JJ & Cade, I don't think Joe had a path to starting. The portal search is for an experienced backup for depth only.
February 19th, 2021 at 8:47 AM ^
Man people here don’t like hearing the truth.
February 18th, 2021 at 1:07 PM ^
Tough to get someone to transfer to be a back-up when they are in the portal because they don't want to be a back-up.
February 18th, 2021 at 1:57 PM ^
A lot of players are in the portal for reasons other than playing time and choose their next destination for reasons outside of playing time.
Michigan is a premier academic institution and would offer an incredible post-graduate degree for a depth QB for their post-football life.
You’re not looking for a high-profile transfer here. You’re looking for an emergency depth guy. You can probably find a dozen or so guys that have no shot of starting anywhere meaningful or advancing their football careers to the NFL that would LOVE to have a Michigan degree
February 18th, 2021 at 3:20 PM ^
Now THIS is a functional way to look at what motivates probably quite a few players: get the M degree, gratis, while playing a game you love. Go elsewhere for the specialized Masters, again gratis, and go on to a decent career --- all without college loans for yourself or your parents.
February 18th, 2021 at 2:21 PM ^
Why would they go after someone to be a backup? Ideally we would look for a 4th year or 5th year senior who could come in and start right away.
February 18th, 2021 at 2:24 PM ^
Because what we need is a backup. If the plan was for Joe, Cade and JJ to battle it out and we were comfortable with the premise of one of those three starting, why does Milton leaving change that? We’re still comfortable with Cade or JJ starting. What we AREN’T comfortable with, is trying to get through an entire season with two viable QBs and a third scholarship QB.
We weren’t trying to hit the portal to find a starter before Milton transferred, why would we be doing so now?
February 18th, 2021 at 2:41 PM ^
What’s wrong with going after a senior who could come in and compete for the starting job? If he wins it, he wins it. If not, he’s a backup. Why would you look for someone you knew couldn’t win the starting job?
February 18th, 2021 at 2:50 PM ^
There’s nothing “wrong” with it. But again, if Michigan wasn’t looking to do that when Milton was still here, why would they look to do it now? They were confident in JJ, Cade and Joe. JJ and Cade are still there. They don’t need three guys they’re confident in starting, they just need an extra body that can play in an emergency.
February 18th, 2021 at 3:07 PM ^
I understand the argument of need for depth, but any team that's looking at going to their 3rd string QB is going to be in trouble (unless of course you're OSU, sigh). If we are talking depth from a "ready to run the offense" standpoint, I'm not sure what a portal QB gives you there either to be honest.
There's still an opportunity for great competition between McNamara, who has not only started but looked good running the offense AND been here w/ Gattis for 2 years already, and McCarthy, who looks elite for an incoming Freshman.
The bulk of the spring snaps are going to be between those two guys, so more reps for both. I think what will be interesting will be if the staff names a starter after the spring or chooses to go into Fall camp with it being "an open competition".
February 18th, 2021 at 3:20 PM ^
We've learned over and over that you really need 3, not 2, quarterbacks who can handle in-game experience.
Last year's starters at Bama and USC had both been third-stringers.
February 18th, 2021 at 2:56 PM ^
First, I've been saying for months that we need to be looking for a transfer QB, before Milton transferred.
Second, our only returning scholarship QB has a thrown a total of 1 non-Rutgers touchdown.
I'd love know what you all are seeing that would leave you to believe that there is such a lock on starter's position such that a halfway decent transfer option would not be able to come here and compete for a starting role right away.
February 18th, 2021 at 3:03 PM ^
I don’t think anyone said any of that... there are plenty of transfers that could come in and compete for a starting job. But that’s not what we’re looking for.
There’s nobody available that puts Michigan so far and ahead of where we’re at right now that it outweighs the benefits of moving forward with the two guys we already have.
Could someone like Tyler Shough come in and be the starter? Yeah, sure. But his ceiling is probably Shea. Does an extra year of Shea outweigh the benefits of playing time for Cade/JJ? Probably not, I don’t think it advances Michigan’s ceiling enough to make it worth it.
February 18th, 2021 at 3:57 PM ^
there are plenty of transfers that could come in and compete for a starting job. But that’s not what we’re looking for.
So there are plenty of transfers who could come in and compete for a starting job - but apparently we don't want those.
Instead, we only want a transfer who is not good enough to compete for the starting job?
JJ is not ready to be a full time starter next year. As of right now, Cade is a bottom half of Big 10 level QB.
But apparently the biggest risk is bringing in a player that might be better than these two next year?
February 18th, 2021 at 4:32 PM ^
Im with you here 100%. Either you bring in the best QB possible because, well he might play, or you have a lot of issues with coaching philosophy. You dont bring in 3rd string level talent if better is available. That is just dumb.
February 18th, 2021 at 6:01 PM ^
Based off of not even a full game worth of action? He then got hurt vs Penn State. This is a bad take on Cade.
February 18th, 2021 at 3:24 PM ^
JH, who said anyone is comfortable with Cade or JJ starting. Neither one has even played and entire college football game from start to finish. We have zero reason to feel comfortable about our QB play next year. We have reasons to be hopeful, but not confident or comfortable.
February 18th, 2021 at 1:08 PM ^
Tate Martell is available. Or better yet, Luke McCaffrey. LOL.
February 18th, 2021 at 1:10 PM ^
Along those same lines - Rocky Lombardi
February 18th, 2021 at 1:51 PM ^
Rocky Lombardi already transferred to Northern Illinois. He will have an opportunity to beat us two consecutive years, in The Big House.
February 18th, 2021 at 2:28 PM ^
Thanks for the correction. Keeping up with all things Staee isn't high on my priority list. Except when bad stuff happens to them which (chef's kiss).
February 19th, 2021 at 8:36 AM ^
I stopped watching all forms of news or politically charged commentaries, after the election. My blood pressure is much closer to normal, having done that. I am not well informed but much happier for it. I only keep up with Covid status and Mgoblog. Highly recommend this approach, to enhance your mood.
February 18th, 2021 at 1:42 PM ^
Foster Loyer
February 18th, 2021 at 1:09 PM ^
I'll play.
In all seriousness, I'm not sure why a grad transfer would want to come if he thought he'd be simply a depth (3rd string) piece for 1 year.
February 18th, 2021 at 1:11 PM ^
It would be someone who wants a free grad degree first and is just on the team if the worst happens at the QB spot
February 18th, 2021 at 1:12 PM ^
Someone that wants a great education and doesn't have a ton of pro aspirations. That's probably a larger pool than you'd imagine.
February 18th, 2021 at 1:22 PM ^
And/or a guy who wants a major-conference football experience. The football equivalent of Mike Smith.
February 18th, 2021 at 1:44 PM ^
Mike Smith had a clear avenue to playing time.
February 18th, 2021 at 2:10 PM ^
DeJulius thought the same thing.
February 18th, 2021 at 2:56 PM ^
Or Jaaron Simmons.
Regardless, our QB spot is open. It may not be highly likely for another Rudock situation but it's not impossible.
February 18th, 2021 at 1:24 PM ^
I agree, an FCS or group of 5 grad transfer that might be more interested in seeing how it is in a major college program or is interested in getting a leg up on coaching by working with a new set of coaches that might be able to open some doors.
I would think UM would do well with someone with the above characteristics
February 18th, 2021 at 1:25 PM ^
This unicorn exists, but it's a tough get. It takes a special type of player and person to know that they're walking into a likely backup role as an upperclassman. A UM grad degree is a helluva carrot to dangle, though. It's worth a shot. We need QB depth.
February 18th, 2021 at 1:25 PM ^
There are plenty of QBs who transfer knowing they won't be QB1. Just not the A-listers. But you can find a decent 3-star type from a small program or an Ivy who wants to play in the bigs and/or wants a Michigan degree.
February 18th, 2021 at 1:09 PM ^
Normally, that would be a resounding yes for a team with our depth.
But I have my doubts about Jim's transfer QB's after what we've seen from O'Korn and Shea. I'm not sure whether the problem is the transfer QB's themselves or whether JH fails to develop them. But sometimes I wonder if we should just develop an underclassmen and accept growing pains rather than settling for band-aid transfer QB's.
I support Jim but the fact that he has yet to develop a QB that he's recruited really bothers me.
February 18th, 2021 at 2:00 PM ^
This would be a depth transfer, not an attempt to get our new starting QB. We have 3 scholarship QBs. That’s why we need to hit the portal, not because we don’t have faith in Cade or JJ
February 18th, 2021 at 2:24 PM ^
My worry is that we have faith in JJ/Cade but they're blocked for a few years by an experienced, but mediocre transfer.
February 18th, 2021 at 2:33 PM ^
You're not understanding the other poster's point. They are saying that whomever we get from the transfer portal will not start, they will be brought in for depth purposes. The expectation before Milton transferred is that JJ/Cade/Milton would be vying for the starting job. Does Milton transferring out mean that JJ/Cade are no longer competing for the starting job? No.
The problem with our QB room is depth. We already saw Cade go down with an injury last season. If he or JJ get injured, you are looking at a QB room with only 2 backup scholarship players. Dan Villari being the other scholarship QB. It is a simple matter of needing an extra body.
Theoretically, could this hypothetical transfer QB come in, compete, and earn the starting job? Maybe. But the chances of that are next to none. There are nearly a hundred QBs left in the transfer portal, and I am sure one of them would be interested in coming to UM, getting a Michigan degree, and playing on a P5 team in a major conference.
February 18th, 2021 at 2:36 PM ^
We aren’t bringing in an experienced mediocre transfer to start over either of those two though. That’s what you’re not understanding.
We’re bringing in an experience but mediocre transfer because we only have three scholarship QBs, only two of which are remotely viable.
You go find a guy who wants a UM degree to be third string for a year or two. The only way he sees the field is in an emergency situation where Cade and JJ are both unavailable for whatever reason.
Hell, I’ll just name two guys currently available in the portal with local ties. Sam Johnson from BC and Messiah DeWeaver (former M commit and MSU player) from Old Dominion.
You’re not looking for an impact player here. You’re not looking for someone to start over Cade/JJ. But you can’t go into the season with three scholarship QBs, only two of which are viable options.