Sports Illustrated’s Chris Jonhson talked about Michigan’s quarterback job – between Wilton Speight, Brandon Peters and John O’Korn – following spring practice.
Speight entered this off-season looking like one of the few sure things on a Wolverines team that brings back only five starters and 34% of its production, according to SB Nation. He won 10 games and earned all-conference recognition while piloting Michigan to within one controversial fourth-down conversion of a possible College Football Playoff berth. Yet as the Wolverines’ approach their opener against SEC East contender Florida, Speight will need to fend off two capable passers angling to usurp him on the two-deep.
Speight beat out one of the competitors, O’Korn, for the top spot a year ago, and O’Korn feels like a long shot to return the favor. The other, Peters, poses a much more formidable challenge. The No. 4 quarterback recruit in the class of 2016, according to Scout.com, Peters redshirted last season before drawing praise for his performance this spring, including a 9-for-17, 160-yard outing in Michigan’s spring game.
Rolling with Speight is the safe route, but Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh has made clear his view that intra-team competition is a “meritocracy.” If that applies here, Peters can earn the job by outplaying Speight in preseason camp.