Kornacki: QB Competition Ramps Up Following Signing Day
2/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Does Michigan have its next starting quarterback in the Class of 2015?
Alex Malzone, who won three state titles at Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) Brother Rice and throws precisely while checking down through his receivers, already is enrolled and readying for spring practice beginning later this month.
Zach Gentry, a big dual-threat quarterback from Albuquerque (N.M.) Eldorado, was wooed away from a University of Texas commitment by new Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh.
The pair of consensus four-star recruits will come in and compete with junior Shane Morris, who has two career starts, and redshirted freshman Wilton Speight.
Who becomes the starting quarterback in 2015 will be interesting, but consider this: Harbaugh brought Andrew Luck to Stanford in 2008, but he redshirted that year before becoming a two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up and the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
So, determining the best quarterback on the current roster could take a while.
Harbaugh, an All-America quarterback for the Wolverines in 1986, was asked what it will take to become his quarterback at Wednesday's National Letter of Intent signing day press conference.
"Well, it's got to take a lot," Harbaugh said. "You have to be determined on the field. They're all training, they're all lifting, conditioning themselves and readying themselves for spring ball. This will be a lot of fun. We'll throw the ball around, and the guys will compete. There will be scrimmages, there'll be seven-on-seven, team drills, and the 11-on-11 football will be the most important. Who moves the team the best? Who turns it over less? Who takes care of the football? Who can rally his team? All that will be played out on the football field. It's a meritocracy at its best."
Harbaugh was able to speak about Gentry for the first time after his National Letter of Intent arrived via fax at 9:08 a.m. And he spoke of Malzone for the first time since he enrolled last month.
"I will start with Alex," said Harbaugh. "As I have said, another example of somebody who has been a winner. Everything he does, he wins. Excellent thrower of the football. He has a real savvy in the pocket. I think his accuracy is outstanding. It jumps out on tape where he is able to scan the field and go from a receiver to a secondary receive, and move his feet. The last thing I would say is that he has been here. He has been here for three weeks, so we have been around him since week one when the students came back to school. He does not seem like a freshman. I do not know if he has an older soul to him, but he has fit right in. He has been very serious about football; I like that about him. He has been serious about school, and he has been really good.
"Zach Gentry, really similar demeanor. Zach is also very talented. He is very fast, he has some real physical attributes that not every quarterback has, and he is somebody that works extremely hard at the game -- especially during the offseason -- on his technique, on his throwing. I am excited about both Alex and Zach. The two things common to them with everybody in this class that really has been fantastic to see, is a desire to compete in the classroom and on the football field. I really like those guys, those kind of people the most, that compete in both of those areas to the highest level."
Gentry (6-foot-7, 230 pounds) twice led Eldorado to the state semifinals. He threw for 3,734 yards with 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while running for 1,013 yards and 26 touchdowns.
"Zach is a leader by example who has dedicated himself to his goals," Harbaugh said. "In addition to his gift of size and athleticism, Zach has always worked hard during the off-season throwing and working on footwork, weights and nutrition. I know his family is very proud of the hard work and effort that Zach has put in to be in the position that he is today. Just a few years ago he would spend his Saturday's watching every college football game while wearing his youth football uniform. That shows his love for the game."
Malzone (6-2, 205 pounds) grew up emulating his favorite quarterback, Tom Brady, who went from Michigan to the New England Patriots and recently joined Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks with four Super Bowl wins. Malzone's certainly been a winner. He was 37-3 with two state championships in three seasons as a starter, and he was part of another state title team as a freshman.
"Alex is a great young man who is dedicated to being a leader," said Harbaugh. "He is a winner that elevates those around him, evidenced by the three state championships at Brother Rice. You can see from his high school film that Alex loves competition and that his passion and enthusiasm brings out the best in his teammates. He has been a competitor his whole life."
Malzone threw for 6,254 yards with 69 touchdowns and 14 interceptions at Brother Rice, where he teamed up with another new Wolverine, Grant Perry, who set the state record with 105 receptions as a senior and totaled 1,727 yards and 20 touchdowns. When two-a-days begin in August, they'll begin a quest for Big Ten championships together.
Harbaugh was asked which players in the class might make the quickest impact.
"I always like to think of it as they have the license and the ability to do that," he said. "All things will be earned on the field. There are no guarantees, only opportunities, and they will have a great opportunity here at the University of Michigan to compete at the highest level academically and at the highest level athletically."
The Wolverines signed five other four-star recruits in a 14-man class: Saginaw (Mich.) Heritage wide receiver Brian Cole, Delray Beach (Fla.) Atlantic Community defensive end Shelton Johnson, Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne safety Tyree Kinnel, The Lawrenceville (N.J.) School offensive tackle Grant Newsome, and Buffalo (N.Y.) Canisius tight end Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
Wheatley's father, the 1993 Rose Bowl star who rushed for 4,178 yards at Michigan before playing 10 years in the NFL, is U-M's new running backs coach.
"Tyrone is an exemplary young man who has demonstrated his outstanding work ethic time and time again," Harbaugh said of the 6-6, 260-pounder. "He shares the name of an outstanding football player, but Tyrone Jr. is charting his own path as a student-athlete. He is a big, physical player who will help our offense in a number of ways. Tyrone is a leader and carries himself with a quiet confidence. He burns with a tremendous competitive edge, and that will fit in exceptionally well here at Michigan on the field and in his studies. We believe he will experience incredible growth here in Ann Arbor, and we at Michigan are fortunate to call him one of our own."
