Tag: Wilton Speight

2015 Season Countdown: #86 Wilton Speight

Name: Wilton Speight
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 235 lbs.
High school: Richmond (VA) Collegiate
Position: Quarterback
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #19
Last year: I ranked Speight #87 and said he would redshirt. He redshirted.

Michigan had an established starter going into last season, and the Wolverines had a highly touted sophomore backup. They also had redshirt junior Russell Bellomy, who existed in a helmetless state. Both backups had seen game action in the past, so there was no need to play Speight.

This spring Speight earned some early praise for his mental acuity and leadership, but as practices wore on, the coaches reportedly started to realize that Speight was not the same kind of athlete as a couple of the other options. He supposedly dropped toward the bottom of the depth chart, and a minor injury removed any chance we had of seeing him in the spring game. Meanwhile, incoming transfer Jake Rudock looks like he’ll be the starter this year, Shane Morris returns as the #2 guy, and there might be a battle for the #3 spot between Speight, freshman Alex Malzone, and freshman Zach Gentry. Malzone had already moved past Speight this spring, and Gentry has higher upside. Unless several injuries occur, Speight will probably sit on the bench or be a mop-up guy this season.

Prediction: Backup quarterback

Poll results: Who will start at quarterback in 2015?

Shane Morris wasn’t smiling very often during the 2014 season.

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Last week I posed the question: Who will start at quarterback in 2015?

I’ll start off by saying that I don’t really care who the starter is. What matters most to me is that the starter is good, or at least the best man for the job.

Shane Morris (Jr.): 31%
The junior Morris is the most experienced guy currently on Michigan’s roster, although a transfer in from Jake Rudock (below) would change that immediately. Unfortunately, Morris has a 0-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and completed just 35% of his passes last year. The highly touted recruited has a cannon for an arm and some decent wheels, but his decision-making has left a lot to be desired.

Wilton Speight (RS Fr.): 30%
Speight has earned some momentum in spring practices, according to some observers. He’s a big guy who can move a little bit. Despite being a redshirt freshman, he will turn 21 in December of this year after taking an extra year of high school due to a broken collarbone.

Alex Malzone (Fr.): 21%
Malzone has earned some praise this spring from some observers, and the occasional report says he’s the leading candidate for the job right now. However, I have not heard as many positive reports on him as the former two. Malzone is reportedly struggling with mechanics, arm strength, and the speed of the game right now.

Jake Rudock (5th): 16%
Rudock, who is visiting Michigan this weekend, has not been offered by the Wolverines yet. And in order to come to Michigan, he would need to jump through some hoops with the Big Ten, since he’s a fifth year transfer candidate from the University of Iowa. I imagine that 16% number here has more to do with whether he’ll actually choose/be allowed to play for Michigan, since his starting experience, 61.7% completions, and 16-to-5 interception ratio last year would almost certainly vault him to the top of this list.

Zach Gentry (Fr.): 0% (2 votes)
Gentry is a true freshman who will not arrive on campus until this summer. While he might have the highest ceiling of everyone on this list (he’s 6’7″, has a strong arm, and a good runner), he will also be the newest to the college game.

Michigan’s Quarterback Situation

You want Wilton Speight to be Michigan’s starter, don’t you?

In case you’ve been under a rock for the past several months, you realize by now that Michigan is in a pretty undesirable position when it comes to the quarterback . . . position. The Wolverines lost a 2.5-year starter in the form of Devin Gardner, who is pursuing a career as an NFL wide receiver. Meanwhile, one experienced backup has struggled greatly, the other experienced backup transferred to the University of Texas at San Antonio, and the other guys available are freshmen of differing sorts. Nobody really knows how this will shake out, but here are some thoughts and rumors.

THE FRONT-RUNNER: Shane Morris (Jr.)
2014 stats: 14/40 (35%), 128 yards, 0 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
It’s hard to believe that someone with those statistics could be the front-runner for any job, but Morris is the aforementioned experienced backup. He backed up Gardner in 2013 as a freshman when Russell Bellomy had a torn ACL. He did not fare well, but there were glimpses against a pretty good Kansas State defense in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. Then 2014 came along, and there were no more glimpses. Morris threw an ugly late-game interception in a blowout win over Appalachian State, and he also threw picks against Utah and Minnesota; meanwhile, despite some decent running skills, Morris has yet to account for any kind of touchdown during his college career. That’s 87 career passing attempts and 15 carries without a score. This spring he has reportedly been splitting snaps pretty evenly with the other scholarship quarterbacks available, but nobody has separated himself. Morris has a strong arm, decent accuracy, and those running skills, but his decision-making has generally been terrible.

Hit the jump for the rest of Michigan’s options under center.

THE FAN FAVORITE: Wilton Speight (RS Fr.)
2014 stats: Did not play while redshirting
I call Speight the “fan favorite” because, like just about any fan base, Michigan’s seems to think the backup is better than the starter. I use those terms loosely, of course, because neither slot is filled, but it’s only natural to think that the experienced junior would start while the inexperienced redshirt freshman bides his time. Speight is bigger (6’6″, 235 lbs.) than Morris and not quite as mobile, but the buzz is that he has more leadership qualities and has been picking up the offense quicker. Speight is not exactly a statue in the pocket, but him winning the job would largely negate the threat of designed runs for the quarterback. I was higher on Morris than Speight coming out of high school, although I did have some questions about Morris’s decision-making. Now that it appears Morris will not fill his borderline 5-star potential, it does seem intriguing to see what Speight can do.

THE DARK HORSE: Alex Malzone (Fr.)
2014 stats: 211/325 (64.9%), 2998 yards, 38 touchdowns, 5 interceptions as a senior in high school
Malzone passed up a couple mediocre Power Five conference schools and some MAC offers to stay home and play for the Wolverines. He enrolled early this past January and is currently in the midst of his first spring practice session. One thing I noted when he was in high school was that he seemed to be totally in command of his team’s offense. Nothing really stands out about his high school film other than that – he’s not particularly big, strong-armed, fast, etc. – but sometimes that can be enough. He played in a pro-style offense in high school that should mesh fairly well with what he is learning from Jim Harbaugh, although surely at a more complicated level. The coaches have reportedly been impressed with his ability to learn the playbook quickly, and I should note that I don’t believe I’ve ever heard that reported about Morris. While Speight and Malzone have been noted for their football aptitude, Morris has been more of the best overall athlete of the bunch.

THE ROOKIE GUNSLINGER: Zach Gentry (Fr.)
2014 stats: Unavailable
The 6’7″, 230 lb. freshman won’t arrive at Michigan until the summer, so all we have to go on is his high school film. It’s impressive high school film, but it also shows him playing against a bunch of New Mexicans, who are not regarded for their football abilities. Gentry is a one-time Texas commit, and while he may not have been ranked as high as Morris, he might have been more coveted by other programs; Morris stopped reporting new offers after he committed to Michigan very early in the process. Regardless, Gentry is very tall, has excellent speed for someone his size, and has a pretty strong arm. He might rival Morris for being the best athlete at the quarterback position, but these two will be on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to experience. After Michigan hired Harbaugh, Gentry became a prime target, so it’s comforting to think that the quarterback guru we hired really wanted this guy. At the same time, freshmen generally play like freshmen, which is not a compliment.

THE CLINT EASTWOOD: Jake Rudock (RS Sr.)
2014 stats: 213/345 (61.7%), 2436 yards, 16 touchdowns, 5 interceptions at Iowa
Who is this Jake Rudock guy and why has he not been playing here the past few years? You might not be too familiar because he’s been Iowa’s starting quarterback for the past two seasons. Reports have been bubbling below the surface for the past month or so that Rudock really wants to play for Jim Harbaugh and get out of Iowa, where ultra-conservative offensive coordinator Greg Davis had called for Rudock to dink and dunk his way to 6.9 and 7.1 yards per attempt for the past two seasons. The staff was not particularly interested to begin with, but none of the quarterbacks look great, so Harbaugh may be considering opening up the competition even further. If Michigan were to accept him, he would not arrive until the summer, but he would be eligible to play this fall due to the NCAA’s graduate transfer rules. Iowa fans do not like Rudock because he is boring, but throwing only 5 interceptions in 345 attempts looks pretty darn exciting to me. He led Iowa to a 7-6 record last year and an 8-5 record the year before, when the Hawkeyes have had a questionable offensive coordinator and debilitation injuries at the running back position. After Michigan went 5-7 last season, I think I would be satisfied with a one-year rental who could win 8 games while being “boring.” Personally, I think Michigan should throw as many darts as they can at the quarterback job, so if there’s any chance that Rudock could be the answer, then the coaching staff should make it happen.

THE UNTOUCHABLE: John O’Korn (RS So.)
2014 stats: 90/173 (52%), 951 yards, 6 touchdowns, 8 interceptions at Houston
O’Korn visited Michigan a few weeks ago and is all but official to be transferring to Michigan. However, he’s not a fifth-year guy and therefore won’t get an exception, so he wouldn’t be available until 2016.

You can voice your opinion on the quarterback situation in the comments or by voting in the poll posted on the left sidebar.

Jersey Number News

1 + 8 = 2

Some news came out yesterday about freshman jersey numbers, plus a couple number changes for the fall. There will surely be others (who will get Legends jerseys #11 and #21?), but these are the stories for now.

#2 Blake Countess: Redshirt junior Countess will switch from #18. This is Charles Woodson’s old jersey number, so some people will be upset because Countess doesn’t “deserve it.” The kid was All-Big Ten and had 6 interceptions last year, including 1 returned for a touchdown. He’s now #3 on the single-season interception list behind Tom Curtis and Woodson himself. You can’t be much better without being Charles Woodson himself.

#5 Jabrill Peppers: Last worn by CB Courtney Avery. Will share the number with RB Justice Hayes. Peppers also wore #5 in high school.

#14 Drake Harris: Known since the spring. Last worn by S Josh Furman. Harris wore #1 in high school.

#17 Freddy Canteen: Known since the spring. Last worn by WR Jeremy Jackson. Canteen wore #19 in high school.

#19 Wilton Speight: Known since the spring. Last worn by TE Devin Funchess. Speight also wore #19 in high school.

#19 Jared Wangler: Will share the number with Speight. Father, John, wore #5 in college. Brother, Jack, is #16. Jared wore #5 in high school.

#28 Brandon Watson: Was #20 in the spring. Last worn by RB Fitzgerald Toussaint. Watson wore #20 in high school.

#32 Ty Isaac: Last worn at Michigan by S Jordan Kovacs. The incoming transfer, Isaac wore #29 at USC last year. Isaac wore #32 in high school.

#51 Michael Ferns: Known since the spring. The last scholarship guy to wear it was LB Eric Brackins in the early 2000’s. Ferns wore #10 in high school.

#52 Mason Cole: Known since the spring. LB Royce Jenkins-Stone also wears this number. Last worn on offense by OL Stephen Schilling. Cole also wore #52 in high school.

#54 Brady Pallante: Last worn by DT Richard Ash. Pallante wore #52 in high school.

#58 Chase Winovich: Last worn by OG Chris Bryant. Winovich wore #15 in high school.

#59 Noah Furbush: Worn by a bunch of walk-on types recently (Jack Doyle, Mark Lawson), but also by long snapper Sean Griffin and linebacker Joey Sarantos. Furbush wore #5 in high school.

#76 Juwann Bushell-Beatty: Last worn by DT Quinton Washington. Bushell-Beatty wore #73 in high school.

#85 Maurice Ways: Last worn by WR Joe Reynolds. Ways wore #9 in high school.

#90 Bryan Mone: Known since the spring. Last worn by LB Jake Ryan when he was a redshirt freshman. Mone wore #52 in high school.

#93 Lawrence Marshall: Not a popular number at Michigan. Worn by a couple defensive linemen, walk-on placekickers, etc. Last notable person to wear it was LB Sam Sword in late 1990’s. Marshall wore #12 in high school.

#94 Ian Bunting: Yes, this is still an eligibile number for a tight end. Last worn by tight end Jordan Paskorz. Bunting wore #1 in high school.

2014 Season Countdown: #87 Wilton Speight

Wilton Speight is the tall guy standing in back, which is where he should be for the entirety of 2014.

Name: Wilton Speight
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 230 lbs.
High school: Richmond (VA) Collegiate
Position: Quarterback
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #19
Last year: Speight was a senior in high school. He threw for 2,845 yards and 33 touchdowns, plus 292 rushing yards.
Final TTB Rating: 77

Speight should have been a part of the 2013 class, but he acquired an extra year of high school eligibility after a collarbone injury ruined his junior year. (Speight will turn 20 before bowl season begins.) He mostly flew under the radar until National Signing Day 2013 when the coaching staff extended an offer after watching him throw. It was a bit of a surprise because Michigan had been in contact with some higher profile players. Regardless, Speight started recruiting hard for the small 2014 class. After a solid season, Speight earned the start for Team Nitro in the Under Armour All-America Game. He did not perform particularly well, but quarterbacks rarely do in those games where timing with receivers and good offensive line protection are difficult to achieve. Following the game, he went to Ann Arbor and enrolled early.

This spring Speight got a fair number of reps due to the continuing recovery of rising redshirt junior Russell Bellomy, who tore his ACL last spring. He is a tall, thick player whose body is unlike any other quarterback on the roster, and he’s a little less athletic than the others, too. Senior Devin Gardner will be the starter this year, and sophomore Shane Morris will be his backup. Then the question becomes whether Bellomy or Speight will be #3. If Gardner and Morris stay healthy, Bellomy should be the third signal caller in a blowout situation. There’s no need to burn Speight’s redshirt unless a spate (see what I did there?) of injuries occur.

Prediction: Redshirt