The Five Most Interesting Things Jim Harbaugh Said

Jim Harbaugh took the podium just a little over two weeks away from the season opener and he did not disappoint. He broke down a lot of the depth chart, talked up his team's approach and even surprised the media throng a few times. Here are some of the things that stuck out the most during his 20-plus minutes at the mic.

1. "SAM EDGE, which is more the athletic pass rusher, expected to be really proficient in coverage, but he's somebody that can go get the quarterback and and set the edge."

I just always like hearing coaches explain what they're looking for at specific positions. Harbaugh explained his SAM EDGE as the slightly smaller, more athletic, pass rusher type of end and then said that Jaylen Harrell and Josaiah Stewart fit the mold perfectly. The other side is the bigger, more sturdy end, which is where Derrick Moore and Braiden McGregor will be stationed at 258 and 267 pounds respectively. The defensive line is really deep and seems to have just the right guys in just the right spots.

2. "Also, there might be a secret plan for Alex Orji. He might have a chance to be maybe one of the greatest kick returners of all time."

Come again?! The potential backup quarterback is going to be returning kicks?! I don't hate it. Orji is supremely athletic, a gifted runner and tips the scales at about 235 pounds per Harbaugh. Michigan's head man did say that Orji is pushing hard for the backup quarterback position, which would certainly factor in to how often he'd be returning kicks, but the idea is really, really intriguing. Orji is big, strong, fast and has a lot of experience carrying the ball. If he's back there returning kicks, I know I'll be watching closely.

3. "A lot of football people — general managers and scouts — have come through. One in particular, who was in our meetings, at practices, he said, 'This is vibrant.' So that's my word. I can't get that word out of my head. It best describes the vibe, the mentality and that's infectious. You can't help not picking up on that."

Harbaugh loves his team this year and you can tell. He didn't have to offer up this opinion but he did. That's telling to me. He knows that he has a squad and he's publicly acknowledging that many others also see it. It's like a ringing endorsement that Harbaugh doesn't have to say himself, even though his opinions align perfectly with the other football experts he referred to.

4. "Every season I've coached, every season I was a part of as a player, you go to that first scrimmage in the stadium, and it's guys forgetting. 'I forgot, I forgot.' Screaming coaches yelling at everybody. That's always been my experience. It was my experience as a player and even as a coach, just the freshmen forget everything they've been taught. It wasn't like that at all. It was the same vibrant energy and execution. And I commented to the team afterwards that I've never seen anything quite like that."

Again, just kind of building on the previous point, this is something that the media never would've known about, but Harbaugh wanted to make it known. That, again, speaks volumes to what this team is doing and how Harbaugh views it. As much football as Harbaugh has been around, this report seems pretty significant.

5. "By the power vested in me, as the head coach, the poster person for enthusiasm unknown to mankind for the 2023 year is Kris Jenkins."

No one should be surprised that Kris Jenkins was literally put on a poster for enthusiasm but what makes this team special is that there are probably 10 other guys who could be on the same poster and also wouldn't be a surprise. Jenkins, who has been nicknamed "The Mutant" is expected to have a super season and it doesn't seem to matter who you ask. The veteran interior offensive linemen have said it, defensive coordinator Jessee Minter said it and now Harbaugh himself decided to put Jenkins on a poster. Bring on the season.

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