Michigan Football: What We Need to See from Wolverines QBs in Spring Game

The emergence of a true starter would be ideal, but the Michigan Wolverines—as well as their fans—could probably get through the summer months if at least one quarterback excels during Saturday’s spring game in Ann Arbor.

He doesn’t have to be a superstar, although it’d be nice. He just has to show something.

He could be true freshman Alex Malzone. According to MGoBlog's Bryan Fuller, Malzone was the first quarterback taken during the spring draft. The spring draft order wasn't made public by Michigan, but the roster is available via MGoBlue.com.

He could also be junior Shane Morris, another local kid who’s looking to make his way to the top.

Wilton Speight, a redshirt freshman, could end up doing something, too.

How about one of the three walk-ons? At this point, the “who” doesn’t matter all that much. It’s the “what”—as in what will head coach Jim Harbaugh get during his first spring game with the Wolverines?

According to Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com, offensive coordinator Tim Drevno didn’t offer much insight into the quarterback situation during Tuesday night’s availability. Instead, he kept it plain and very simple: There is no leading candidate for the No. 1 job.

Not yet anyway.

“They've all taken their times where they've stood out, and we feel good about it," Drevno said. "(But) no, there's not (a true front-runner). Everybody's had different times where they've stepped forward.

"But we don't play a game until Sept. 3 (so we're not worried)."

There may not be anything to worry about today, but the clock is ticking. It’s not a desperate situation by any means—not yet—but it is one that could use some serious focus and specialized attention from Harbaugh’s team of experts.

It’ll begin Saturday.

Morris Needs a Big Day

With a new coaching staff, philosophy and era upon them, Michigan’s quarterbacks must either quickly adapt or risk falling through the cracks.

That’s especially true for Morris, a former 4-star recruit out of Warren De La Salle who was once was tabbed as the program’s next big thing.

Thus far, the 6’3”, 209-pound lefty hasn’t done much. Unfortunately, he’s best known for his former coach’s gross neglect. On Sept. 27, Morris suffered what appeared to be a concussion during Michigan’s 30-14 loss to the Gophers.

Instead of being removed by former coach Brady Hoke, Morris was left on the field to fend for himself.

He wobbled, dropped his hands to his knees and hips, and was even assisted by teammates in the huddle. That’s what people remember, and that’s what they talk about. However, that’s not entirely fair to Morris, who has actually shown glimpses of something special.

He’s instinctual, quick and motivated. Other than a relief effort in the 2014 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, he just hasn’t been given the right opportunity to showcase his arm.

Without a doubt, no questions asked, Morris must—and the word “must” can’t be stressed enough—do something to at least vault himself into the top two candidates for the starting position. In 2014, he completed 14 of 40 passes and threw three interceptions.

Time is not on his side.

Malzone Could Surprise

Tony Ding/Associated Press

Per Baumgardner, Drevno isn’t opposed to starting a true freshman. Now, Drevno didn't specifically say that he’d start one at quarterback—he only referenced doing so on the offensive line at USC—but he didn’t completely rule out that option, either.

At 6’2” and 218 pounds, Malzone enters the mix as a wide-eyed kid looking to snag a job from an upperclassman. That’s a huge undertaking, regardless of program or circumstance.

But it just so happens that Michigan has an opening, so for the time being, he’s as qualified as the rest of the pack.

During his time at Birmingham Brother Rice, he was widely regarded as the top high school quarterback in the state of Michigan. Then, later in his career, he was viewed as one of the top pro-stylers in the country, ranking No. 13 nationally as a senior.

There is zero pressure on Malzone—none whatsoever. That makes him the wild card.

Making a grand debut during the spring game would be the ideal way of saying, “I’m here” to his teammates, coaching staff and Wolverines fans.

In a way, Malzone doing anything short of above-average would be a slight disappointment. Harbaugh, Drevno and passing coordinator Jedd Fisch have each made positive comments about the freshman. Harbaugh and Drevno have praised his leadership abilities, which are required, but Fisch recently delivered the most detailed evaluation regarding Malzone.

"Alex should be a senior in high school right now. I know my senior spring, I wasn’t in college. So I know that he’s got a lot going on, and he has handled it unbelievably well.

He is like, he’s unbelievable in terms of his ability to not let things bother him, to be consistent and to jump right back in and play the game. If a play doesn’t go right, he’s right back in and ready for the next one. A short-term memory is phenomenal for a quarterback.”

Will It Be Wilton?

Tall with a big arm—that’s Speight in a nutshell.

At 6’6” and 234 pounds, he is physically ideal for the position. He’s big enough to sustain a hit, but more importantly, he’s tall enough to see over defenders and down the field.

Speight’s yet to see game-day action, so there aren’t any in-game reports available. But during pregame warm-ups this past fall, he appeared to throw the ball quite well. He certainly has the arm strength to compete for a starting job. With six others on the roster and at least one more on the way for 2015, Speight could view this spring game as a crossroads.

It’s time for him find a spot, and he could secure one by showing off range and poise during the spring game.

Three weeks ago, Fisch discussed Speight's lack of experience. However, he was quick to mention Speight's potential.

"Wilt makes a lot of nice throws and is a good-sized kid," he said.

As Drevno mentioned, the Wolverines have the summer and early fall months to settle on a starter—they don’t need to tab one on Saturday.

However, it wouldn’t hurt for a definitive but temporary twosome to command attention during the spring game.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and references were obtained firsthand by the writer via press conference, press release or other media availability. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines football writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81.