Interesting interview on Speight and reason for transfer
Brad Galli with a nice piece over on ABC on why Speight decided to transfer. Although Speight denies any hard feelings towards the staff, he does seem a little slighted by the fact that he was splitting reps with the other QB's in spring practice.
“There are certain things that are maybe hard to put into words. I have always been in quarterback competitions. At the bus last year, Coach Harbaugh said I’m gonna be a top quarterback in all of college football this season. Then the first spring practice happened and I was splitting reps,”
Interesting take and look into the program. Apparently a meritocracy indeed. Video in link.
LINK: http://www.wxyz.com/sports/speight-speaks-out-on-decision-to-leave-mich…
November 27th, 2017 at 7:30 PM ^
...and then shit the bed
November 27th, 2017 at 7:46 PM ^
Did he?
November 27th, 2017 at 7:48 PM ^
yes, figuratively, can't speak for his actual sleeping or shitting habits.
November 27th, 2017 at 8:19 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 8:44 PM ^
Life (and 'thinking') is easier when you can quickly subdivide items into their greatest hyperbolic outcome.
November 27th, 2017 at 9:34 PM ^
O'Korn and Peters were also undefeated as starting QBs against teams with losing records this season
November 27th, 2017 at 10:38 PM ^
November 28th, 2017 at 3:00 PM ^
Beat PSU when they sucked and had 0 linebackers.
Probably played well against Wisc, all I remember is him amazingly hitting Darboh deep for the first time all year for the winning touchdown in what felt like a lottery winning effort.
Lost to terrible Iowa because he went 0/10 on wide open deep passes.
Lost to OSU because, aside from ref corruption, threw two (virtual) pick 6's and didnt he fumble at the goal line too?
Speight has always been terrible, he was even worse this year. You can point to his stats last year but they hide the fact that he couldnt hit a deep pass to save his life, and every completion was late and behind robbing receivers of any YAC all year. Most of the QBs in the coutnry would have had better stats than him last year hittint more wide open deep receivers and more than 0 times allowing a receiver to run after the catch instead of throwing it late and behind and having them drop it or get instantly tackled. The reality is more than just the score at the end of the game. And that score is caused by more than just the QB.
November 28th, 2017 at 3:04 PM ^
You suck.
November 28th, 2017 at 9:30 AM ^
of keeping inferior opponents in the game with his poor play. We probably would've won those games Speight was QB with Malzone in there, the teams he beat all sucked, so no real comparison. Peters was the best QB we played this year.
November 28th, 2017 at 10:31 AM ^
Peters against Wisconsin was easily the best a Michigan QB played all season. Following the actual rules of football he was 10-18, 2 TDs on the road at Wisconsin.
Its unfortunate that the staff misfired and had him behind O'Korn. With Peters in from Purdue on, the season may have been different.
November 28th, 2017 at 2:26 PM ^
during The Nolan Ulizio Experiment. I don't think having Black offset that. Plus, DPJ and the other young guys were getting their feet wet.
November 28th, 2017 at 2:54 PM ^
He had very little to do with winning those games and everything to do with almost losing them...all against terrible teams.
November 27th, 2017 at 6:44 PM ^
I don't see a problem with this. After the Iowa and OSU games along with various other games such as Colorado, it was clear we needed better qb play to take us over the top. Either Speight was to get better or O Korn/Peters would improve enough to start themselves. In the fall it was clear that Speight was just a guy, O Korn was terrible, and Peters hadn't improved enough to be great yet. The only qualm I have about the coaching staff is that we didn't put Peters in earlier. Even if Peters wasn't ready, O Korn wasn't ready either and Peters has a much better arm.
November 27th, 2017 at 7:08 PM ^
That's simply not real life in college football, man.
November 28th, 2017 at 1:16 PM ^
I think Peters was ready to get game experience earlier than he did. I would have liked to see Harbaugh tell his QBs before the Cincinnati and AF games that WS would get the first half and JOK and BP would each get a quarter.
November 28th, 2017 at 3:45 PM ^
We were breaking in:
3 new offensive linemen
2 new wide receivers
New starting tight ends
New starters at tailback
When the beginning of the season didn't go as smoothly as planned, the last thing the coaches are going to do is start subbing in backup QBs. There wasn't time. If the offense isn't clicking, you give the starters every available snap so they can work out the kinks.
November 27th, 2017 at 8:11 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 9:26 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 6:44 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 7:12 PM ^
Dude seems nice enough, but he is the most vanilla thing on television.
November 27th, 2017 at 8:15 PM ^
November 28th, 2017 at 10:17 AM ^
I like Justin Rose at Ch. 7 (despite his obvious love for Sparty)
November 27th, 2017 at 7:57 PM ^
the decision was 100% Speight's. Friends of mine/I have discussed the possibility if it was Harbaugh offering a firm handshake or - more likely - the decision was made mutually. I'm glad to see it was Speight's decision and not any part Harbaugh's. I would've loved to have Speight back for a fifth year.
November 27th, 2017 at 8:11 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 9:27 PM ^
Seems crazy that a two year starter would just leave with one year left just because he had to split reps and still compete. Either Wilton got some really poor guidance, or there is more to this story. I am guessing the latter. Wish you well Wilton!!! Thanks for being a part of a turning point for the program!!! Hope you are productive wherever you go.
November 28th, 2017 at 9:36 AM ^
between Speight and Harbaugh and Jim basically told him look, we would love to have you back, but you will more then likely be 3rd string next year. Hope you want to come back and help the young guys, but they have more upside and we have to look for the future.
Considering Speight was upset about splitting reps in the Spring I'm guessing his ego couldn't handle it and he decided to transfer. No hard feelings on anyone's side and if he wants to play he needed to transfer. Good luck to him and I hope he has a great year where ever he lands.
Michigan will have a better QB next year so it's all good.
November 28th, 2017 at 11:30 AM ^
Harbaugh would absoultely not guarantee him the starting spot, and he knows how good Peters and McCaffery are from watching them every day in practice. So Speight would rather roll the dice with a different situation where he has less competition for the starting job.
He has 1 year of organized ball left in his life unless he lights it up. I can't really blame him.
November 28th, 2017 at 2:54 PM ^
that's not at all how the conversation went. Speight said Harbaugh was surprised when he broke the news to him and asked if it was something he had done.
November 27th, 2017 at 6:44 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 7:13 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 8:21 PM ^
I'll never forget Tom Brady's interview in "The Brady Six" where he was talking about draft night and how it felt to hear name after name called ahead of him until finally he was chosen in the sixth round. He had to pause in the interview to gather himself when he talked about that. Even after over a decade of stardom in the NFL, three Super Bowl rings, and two MVP awards, he still got choked up just thinking about that experience, how big of an effect it had on him, and how it drove him in the years that followed.
I think that's the fire that Harbaugh tries to light under his players. Some respond to it. Others don't.
November 27th, 2017 at 8:39 PM ^
November 28th, 2017 at 2:38 PM ^
don't you think part of the frustration is that Wilton wanted to keep working every day, every play to be the best, but it hurt him to only get half the reps?
In college there are a limited number of reps and hours you can put in. It's not like every guy can get all the work he wants, so I can understand him wanting to get as much work to get on the same page as his receivers as possible.
November 27th, 2017 at 7:21 PM ^
Based on what we saw at the start of the season it seems like those words actually had the opposite affect. It is almost like he was "shook" that he wasn't just given the starting job and it showed with his play on the field.
November 27th, 2017 at 8:02 PM ^
All his quotes during his two QB competitions were about him embracing the competition. By all accounts, he's a true competitior.
Reading between the lines of the piece, it seemed more like he saw the writing on the wall w/ the younger QBs. Looking at it from his perspective, he has one year to prove himself as an NFL caliber QB. Based on how he played this year compared to Peters, he would probably go into next year's QB competition as the underdog before even considering McCaffrey. Might as well go somewhere he can definintely start and showcase his talents. FWIW, I think there's a chance he does make it to the NFL. I wish him the best!
November 27th, 2017 at 8:43 PM ^
When I read between the lines, he sounded like someone who thought he was above competition, like they'd earned the spot...period...for as long as he was at UM. He never struck me as someone who was afraid of competition, rather someone who thought it no longer applied while he was QB.
That's just not how Harbaugh is. He should've known that.
November 27th, 2017 at 6:44 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 6:45 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 6:46 PM ^
I mean, he was an OK qb and the quote from Harbaugh sounds like he was trying to build his confidence, not promise him anything. This isn't a talent like Ryan Mallett that's transferring (different circumstances, I know). Everyone around the program was saying that Peters was most talented of the viable options for this season and needed he to have better command of the offense and huddle. Once Peters was ready, it wasn't surprising he would eventually overtake the unhearalded 3* holdover from the previous regime. Speight sounds upset his seniority wasn't worth what he thought.
November 28th, 2017 at 2:46 PM ^
as we can get, unless anyone wants to be in position to play terrible QBs like we did this year.
Harbaugh wanted him desperately to come back because competition is good and the more QBs competing/available, the better. Simple as that. Reader71 put it perfectly yesterday that this is bad and Harbaugh knows it.
Obviously, Harbaugh is not promising him anything either. He doesn't do that and Wilton knows it.
Peters never overtook Speight, btw. Speight won the job and then was injured. And then Peters was just OK at best as he overtook JOK.
November 27th, 2017 at 6:48 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 6:49 PM ^
Best guy plays. And proves it by honest competition.
November 27th, 2017 at 6:50 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 7:10 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 6:50 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 8:57 PM ^
November 28th, 2017 at 1:27 PM ^
Did he really say such a dumb thing? I can easily tell that Newsome is injured. It was easy to tell that Lavert Hill was a good player who wasn't allowed to play against Wisconsin because of injury.
November 27th, 2017 at 6:52 PM ^
more as Speight can read between the lines that Harbaugh favors developing Peters and/or McCaffrey over developing Wilton Speight.
November 27th, 2017 at 6:57 PM ^
But he would be wrong in that assessment. The coaches will play the QB whom they believe put them in the best position to win games, period. That means he must prove to them that he is that guy. Once the last play of the season ends, all clocks and ledgers get reset to zero - for everyone.