Is Michigan or Boise State the Better Option for Iowa Transfer QB Jake Rudock?

It looks like former Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock could still be a Big Ten quarterback in 2015. 

According to Clint Brewster of 247Sports, Rudock will have an important visit with Michigan this weekend and could receive a grant-in-aid offer from the Wolverines: 

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Sources have told Wolverine247 that Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz will release transfer quarterback Jake Rudock to any school in the country including Michigan.

Rudock will visit Michigan this weekend and the source also indicated that if Michigan does offer Rudock a spot on the roster that he will accept. With the uncertainty at quarterback for Michigan in 2015, the Wolverines are expected to offer Rudock.

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Rudock will be a graduate transfer and eligible to play right away. It's a big deal that Ferentz is letting Rudock go anywhere he wants, though the fact that Michigan and Iowa do not play next season is notable. Rudock's transfer to the Wolverines has been the subject of message-board rumors for a while but gained traction last week via Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports. Per Brewster, Rudock is also considering Boise State. 

Which school would be a be a better fit for Rudock? It depends on what he's looking for. One would think Rudock will transfer to the place where he'll have the best chance to start, but there are other factors as well.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Boise State coach Bryan Harsin are both "quarterback guys." Either way, Rudock will be playing in a style of offense that should be more aggressive than the one he played in at Iowa. 

BRADLEY LEEB/Associated Press

That said, Michigan's offer would be a hard one to pass up. Since Rudock has one season of eligibility left, being coached by Harbaugh could pay major dividends for him down the road.  

Harbaugh is also a straight shooter. He'll tell a recruit exactly what he thinks of him from an evaluation standpoint. There's very little butt-kissing. If Harbaugh thinks a player can start or play in the NFL, he'll tell him. If he thinks Michigan isn't for him, he'll tell him. 

So if Michigan really does extend an offer to Rudock, that should tell you a lot about what Harbaugh thinks of him. It doesn't mean Rudock is guaranteed to start, but it would mean that he and Harbaugh are on the same wavelength. 

That, and the fact that Harbaugh needs bodies at quarterback. Houston transfer John O'Korn won't be eligible until 2016, and early enrollee Alex Malzone will still be learning the ropes.

If Rudock does transfer to Ann Arbor, Shane Morris could be his biggest competition. Morris is a talented kid, but it's clear he needs more development. How quickly he develops under Harbaugh will dictate his position on the depth chart. 

The good thing for Rudock is that he's not going to be the only one learning a new offense; everyone is going to be starting from scratch. In February, Harbaugh called the upcoming quarterback competition a "meritocracy," according to ESPN.com's Dan Murphy. 

"It's going to take a lot. All of that will be determined on the field," Harbaugh said, per Murphy. "This will be a lot of fun. We'll throw the balls out there, and the guys will compete."

Rudock has had his ups and downs, but when he's on he looked like one of the better pure passers in the Big Ten. Last season, he finished fourth with a 133.46 passer rating. He can manage an offense.

Considering that Michigan could barely move the chains last season, that would be a good start. 

There shouldn't be any doubt that Rudock can play at that level. It might just be a matter of pairing him with the right coach. Certainly, Rudock and Harbaugh could be a solid combination in Year 1 of the Wolverines' rebuilding project. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All stats courtesy of CFBStats.com.