The Five Most Interesting Things Jim Harbaugh Said At Big Ten Media Days
You never know what you're going to get when Jim Harbaugh is at the mic. But when he and his team are dominating the rest of the conference, you get a lot of smiles, some really solid responses and plenty of interesting quotes to reference and discuss.
1. "I think some compare [JJ McCarthy] to Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, would be two. And I know there's others that have that level of talent plus the quarterback position willing to do anything for their team."
So this one got taken out of context just a bit. Harbaugh did call McCarthy a generational talent, but he wasn't exactly saying he's as good as arguably the two best signal callers in the NFL. He was basically saying that as good as McCarthy is when it comes to arm talent and athleticism, he's probably even better as a teammate. Harbaugh referenced the way that Mahomes and Allen interact with their teammates and how they'll do anything for their team in order to get a win and then said that McCarthy is wired the same way, and I agree 100%. McCarthy is a salt of the Earth kind of young man and truly cares about everyone he interacts with, especially his teammates. Sometimes it even feels phony because no one can be like that all the time, can they? McCarthy can and it's as genuine as can be.
2. "Offensive line, I look at 10 guys right now that are starter caliber."
Jim Harbaugh loves to name every player at each position as a potential contributor, but it is not hyperbole when he says that 10 offensive linemen could start. In my opinion, this is the most interesting storyline heading into the season. So many other positions are set, but the offensive line is not because there are just so many good players on the roster. Blake Corum identified all three transfers — La'Darius Henderson, Drake Nugent and Myles Hinton — as absolute studs who are definitely ready to play. The guard spots are all set with Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter, but the other three spots are up for grabs. It seems like Nugent will get the nod at center, but Harbaugh mentioned Greg Crippen as someone who can start. You also have Jeff Persi, Trente Jones and Karsen Barnhart on the roster, who have all started at least one game as a Wolverine. Offensive line coach Sherrone Moore has a tough job in getting down to five starters, but he has a plethora of talented, capable bodies to sort through before Sept. 2.
3. "Colston Loveland. I know I'm on camera. So the longer it takes him to realize how good he is, the better off he'll probably be. But I think the secret's out, he is really, really good."
This might've been the understatement of the day. Colston Loveland isn't being talked about by a ton of people when discussing the best tight ends in the country, but he might just be an All-American candidate by year's end. And you just know that Harbaugh is loving the potential of Loveland as a sophomore. Last year, Loveland only had 16 grabs for 235 yards and two touchdowns, but the two scores were massive — one a 45-yard bomb agains Ohio State and the other a back shoulder, leaping grab between two Purdue defenders in the Big Ten title game. Simply put, Loveland is going to thrive in the offense this year with a more mature and prepared JJ McCarthy and such a dominant running game. That's the perfect formula for a blossoming tight end with so much talent.
4. "Kris Jenkins, Mike Sainristil, Blake Corum — each one of those three are walking, talking billboards for how you should attack each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind."
Harbaugh has never spoken truer words. These three young men are absolute gems when it comes to representing a program and doing things the right way. Listening to each of them field questions for 30+ minutes during media day was an absolute treat. There were open, honest answers and plenty of takeaways in terms of why this team is so special. You can probably put money on all three of them being captains this year.
5. "Like our good friend Ric Flair said, 'If you want to be the man, you've got to beat the man.'"
Ric Flair has always been a friend of Harbaugh and the Michigan football program so it's not a surprise that Harbaugh referenced him and echoed his sentiments about beating the big dog on the block. Right now, that's Georgia, which is why Harbaugh implemented a "Beat Georgia" during practice. The drill is about running the ball and stopping the run even when the other unit knows it's coming. Georgia has been able to do that over the last couple of season and they've got two titles because of it. Now Harbaugh and his assistants are trying to take their running game and physicality to another level, despite being dominant in both areas over the past two seasons. The Wolverines will have to find another level in order to achieve the ultimate prize.
