Jim Harbaugh talks three incoming ‘freak shows,' one with 43-inch vertical
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is back after signing a renegotiated contract, and he’s got a lot of talent to work with. The Wolverines have help coming at several positions, but one group has his attention.
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The wide receiver room is so good that receiver Mike Sainristil — one of last year’s offensive skill players of the year — is moving to defensive back. Veteran Ronnie Bell returns healthy after knee surgery, while Cornelius Johnson, Roman Wilson, Andrel Anthony and A.J. Henning are back. All of them made big plays at different times last year and will get their chances to build on it this spring.
But there will be competition from the young guys, too. Harbaugh believes Michigan will send three tight ends to the NFL next year, so there are plenty of options in the passing game. Despite what anyone things, the quarterback competition is wide open between incumbent Cade McNamara and sophomore J.J. McCarthy who played a lot last year.
“Like you do at any position, we’re going to play the best players. Then the question comes back, how do we know who the best players are?” Harbaugh said on the recent In The Trenches Podcast with Jon Jansen. “It’s because they play the best. It’s really that simple. If one is clearly the starter [he’ll play], or it could be the way we did it last year where they’re splitting time. Or … it could be one more than the other or one the full way.”
… “If it comes to a point when we all go, ‘we know … clearly, he’s the best player at that position.’ But we have two very good freshman quarterbacks, two scholarship freshman quarterbacks in Jayden Denegal and Alex Oriji. We can’t wait to roll the balls out Monday and see what they can do.”
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Neither can the quarterbacks, for one big reason. The talent in the receiver room has the potential be outstanding, Harbaugh noted, and a lot of it is experienced.
“It’s a great group of receivers, too. If you’re a quarterback, the receiver room … picture this,” Harbaugh said. “They’re all back, including Ronnie Bell. Every receiver is back, and three ‘freak shows’ that are incoming freshmen in Darrius Clemons, Tyler Morris and Amorion Walker. [Walker] is doing some incredible things. He ran a 6.25 three-cone the other day, had a 43-inch vertical jump. All three of those receivers are outstanding.
“All the quarterbacks are going to have a bunch of great targets to throw to. Guys that are proven. Guys that are coming in. [We all] know about the running backs, as well. Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards. We’ll see Tavi Dunlap, who we’ve seen a lot in practice, make that jump from freshman to sophomore year. We have a lot of really good players at the skill positions.”
All will battle for time starting Monday at the beginning of fall camp, and Harbaugh can’t wait to see it.
