Michigan Football: Shane Morris Working Hard in Quarterback Battle
By Matt Snyder
Sep 27, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Shane Morris (7) passes the ball in the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Shane Morris was named the Michigan starting quarterback in the spring, but he’s apparently not taking that fleeting tag for granted. This according to Mark Snyder (no relation) of the Detroit Free Press.
"“I’m still working hard, nothing has really changed. I still go out like I’m the backup — I’m still competing for the job,” Morris said today at the Sound Mind Sound Body camp, where he was a counselor. “I’m not being complacent.”"
Michigan has four quarterbacks on the roster who could conceivably compete for playing time this year in Morris, Iowas transfer Jake Rudock, redshirt freshman Wilton Speight, and true freshman Alex Malzone (Brother Rice), but the competition appears to be down to Morris and Rudock.
Rudock is probably the leader to start the season opener though. He showed he can perform reasonably well while quarterbacking a Big Ten team during his time at Iowa — something Morris has yet to show in his appearances so far in a Michigan football uniform.
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But teams — even successful ones — can rarely get through an entire season without having to rely on a second quarterback for series, halves, or even full games (last year’s Ohio State squad is the extreme example here), so having a prepared and focused Shane Morris will be a benefit to the Michigan football program, even if he’s not starting.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh has a big task in front of him as he tries to turn around a program that finished with a losing record last season under Brady Hoke. Job one is developing a quarterback who can compete and perform in major conference college football.
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