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Phil Steele expects Michigan to be ‘upgraded’ at QB in 2020
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The 2020 season was going to be an interesting one for Michigan even under normal circumstances. The Wolverines had a lot of moving parts in the offseason and will be relatively young heading into Jim Harbaugh’s sixth season in Ann Arbor.
Add in the elimination of spring practice, a conference-only schedule and a potential delay in training camp, and it could result in some growing pains for Michigan. After all, this is a team that saw four offensive linemen drafted back in April, lost its starting quarterback and has limited options at the wide receiver position.
We haven’t even started talking about the defense yet.
But college football expert Phil Steele does believe Michigan will be upgraded in at least one area: quarterback. Yes, the Wolverines are losing two-year starter Shea Patterson, but Steele believes the two guys battling for the starting job — Dylan McCaffrey and Joe Milton — have the potential step right in and help the UM offense.
“I think McCaffrey and Milton are battling it out for the job,” Steele said Tuesday on ESPN 103.7 in Pennsylvania, according to 247Sports. “Both guys have the size you want, they’ve got the mobility you want and I think they’re going to be upgraded at the quarterback spot.”
Neither McCaffrey nor Milton have seen much time on the field in Ann Arbor during their early careers, and the battle for the starting job is expected to be a tight race. They’re competing to replace Patterson, who led Michigan to a 19-7 record in two seasons, throwing for 5,661 and 45 touchdowns.
Michigan was scheduled to open the season with Washington on Sept. 5. However, due to the B1G’s decision to cancel all nonconference games in 2020, it’s unclear when the Wolverines will start the season.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB