11
Thursday, June 25, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com SPORTS
Rudock, Morris ready to
battle for starting QB job
By KELLY HALL
Daily Sports Writer
A competition was brewing
in Ann Arbor, and it wasn’t just
between the high school quarter-
backs pitted against one another at
Michigan’s Aerial Assault quarter-
back camp.
Two camp counselors were bat-
tling as well. Junior quarterback
Shane Morris and Iowa graduate
transfer quarterback Jake Rudock
helped coach over 200 students
Saturday, and both made it clear
that they intend to continue that
leadership into the fall.
“I think I can win the starting
job because I have the mentality to
do so,” Morris said. “Right now it’s
my job to lose. I’m just gonna keep
working hard and not let my com-
petitors take it away from me.”
Though he stopped short of
naming
himself
the
favorite,
Rudock has no intention of sitting
on the bench for his final year of
eligibility.
“I mean, I want to play. I think
every guy who’s in that locker room
wants to go out and play.”
Morris made his only start of
the 2014 season against Minne-
sota on Sept. 27, when he com-
pleted 7-of-19 passes for 49 yards
and threw one interception. Mor-
ris made four other appearances,
and completed 14-of-40 passes for
128 yards and three interceptions
overall.
Morris believes that his team-
mates view him as their leader.
“You gotta keep working hard
every day,” Morris said. “You have
to show up to practice every day
with the same mentality: that
you’re competing for your job.
That’s college football, that’s why
I’m here.”
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh
said that the junior quarterback
outperformed his teammates in the
Spring Game, but that was before
Rudock was on campus.
Rudock arrived in Ann Arbor
just five weeks ago, but the transi-
tion hasn’t been difficult for the
fifth-year senior. Without classes
to take until the fall, Rudock spends
most of his time in Michigan’s foot-
ball facilities.
“(Playing for Michigan) was
weird for the first week,” Rudock
said. “But these are my brothers
now. I still have great friendships at
Iowa, but I’m feeling comfortable
with the guys and (Ann Arbor).”
After starting at Iowa for two
seasons and throwing just five
interceptions in 2014, the fewest of
any starting Big Ten quarterback,
Rudock believes his experience can
help him win the job.
“I’ve had to compete every single
year at Iowa, so this is very similar
in that regard,” Rudock said. “In
Big Ten football, you have to earn
everything you get, that’s just the
name of the game, that’s how foot-
ball is, and that’s a big Coach Har-
baugh thing.
“Nothing is ever given, it’s
earned.”
Rudock’s main concern is mesh-
ing with his new teammates and
learning the Michigan offense,
which is mostly pro-style with
some West Coast mixed through-
out.
At Iowa, Rudock played pro-
style, and that previous experience
will help him in the battle.
Former Michigan quarterbacks
Denard Robinson and Devin Gard-
ner were also at the camp, and they
made it clear that competition is
healthy and expected. Even though
both players are gone and gradu-
ated, they’re still competing with
one another.
“I’m pretty sure Devin would
say the same thing, that he thinks
he’s better than me (at quarter-
back),” Robinson said. “We’re both
competitive, so of course I’m gonna
say yes, (I think I’m better).
“That’s the one thing I tell Shane,
just do the best you can and at the
end of the day you can live with
yourself and say, ‘I did everything I
could possibly do to be a starter.’ He
has the talent. He has everything a
quarterback needs to be a starter
here. He can take the team to the
Rose Bowl or the National Cham-
pionship.”
Confidence and competition are
key at the quarterback position,
and there doesn’t appear to be a
lack of either on Morris’ part.
“You know, (Rudock) came here
to take my job, and I’m just not
going to let it happen.”
KELLY HALL/Daily
Graduate Iowa transfer Jake Rudock arrived in Ann arbor five weeks ago, and will try to beat out nine others for the quarterback job.
Recruits rolling in
Michigan football coach Jim
Harbaugh added a new four-star
lineman to the 2016 class Wednes-
day. Offensive tackle Devery Ham-
ilton committed to Michigan over
Stanford and Maryland. Hamilton
is now the fourth four-star offen-
sive line prospect in the class, join-
ing offensive tackles Ben Bredeson
and Erik Swenson and offensive
guard Michael Onwenu.
Not joining the class is Farming-
ton Hills Harrison four-star defen-
sive end Khalid Kareem, who chose
Alabama over Michigan Wednes-
day afternoon. Harbaugh has now
picked up 13 recruits this month,
bringing the 2016 class to 18 total.
Hyman signin’
Former Michigan hockey for-
ward Zach Hyman signed a two-
year contract Tuesday with the
Toronto Maple Leafs after being
traded by the Florida Panthers last
week. The first team All-Ameri-
can and Toronto native was first
drafted by the Panthers in the fifth
round of the 2010 Entry Draft.
Minick pleads guilty
Michigan
associate
athletic
director for football Jim Minick
pled guilty Wednesday to a charge
of operating a vehicle while intoxi-
cated. After refusing a breatha-
lyzer test, Minick took a blood test
which revealed a .185 blood alcohol
content, per the Detroit News. He
received eight months of probation
and a fine of $1,325.
Maezes going pro
Former Michigan infielder Tra-
vis Maezes signed a contract with
the Kansas City Royals Saturday,
joining former teammate Jacob
Cronenworth, who signed with
the Tampa Bay Rays, in the MLB.
The Ann Arbor native was taken by
the Royals in the 13th round of the
First-Year Player Draft. Maezes has
a career .305 average with 39 dou-
bles, seven triples and home runs
and 92 RBI.
NHL Draft primer
Several Michigan hockey play-
ers are projected to be picked in
the NHL Entry Draft on Friday
and Saturday. Freshman defense-
man Zach Werenski impressed
this year, playing in 35 games with
nine goals, 16 assists and 25 points.
He was ranked ninth among North
American skaters by NHL Central
Scouting. Incoming freshman for-
ward Kyle Connor took the No.13
spot in the same ranking after a
standout season in the USHL, giv-
ing Michigan two probable first-
round picks.
Fellow incoming freshmen Bren-
dan Warren, Cooper Marody, Nick
Boka and Connor Murphy are also
potential draft picks.
WOLVERINE NEWS BITES