Depth chart? What depth chart?
Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez can’t decide on a single quarterback to hand the reigns over to in 2009 just yet. So why not just give them all a try?
That’s exactly what he’s doing.
At Big 10 Media Day, Rodriguez announced that all three quarterbacks tangled in a battle to be the Wolverines’ signal caller would get significant playing time when they open the season against Western Michigan. Junior Nick Sheridan and freshmen Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson have all seen action with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-team offenses in practices.
According to ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg, all three have shown flashes of brilliance and all three bring something different to the table. He noted specifically that Robinson, who entered the year with the least likely chance of competing for the starting spot, has given the coaching staff a lot to think about with his knack for the big play and his blinding speed. Forcier is the highly-touted recruit who the fan and alumni base are expecting to turn Michigan’s fortunes, but it’s Sheridan who’s the only one with any game experience at this level.
It remains to be seen who will emerge as the clear-cut No. 1 as the season progresses, but complicating matters is unreasonable expectations for Rodriguez. Simply put, Michigan is unfamiliar with the term “rebuilding.” Rodriguez was expected to make the school a national title contender again, despite inheriting less-than-stellar talent and more importantly, players who didn’t fit his unique offensive system. As a result, it’d make sense for the former West Virginia head coach to go with one or both of the freshmen and allow them to develop, but the pressure to win now might force him to play Sheridan again this season.
