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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

