The Five Most Interesting Things Jim Harbaugh Said: Michigan College Showcase

Jim Harbaugh recently spoke at the Michigan College Showcase in Big Rapids and said a few things that should be highlighted.

Jim Harbaugh, along with his staff, were at Ferris State University last week for the Michigan College Showcase. Hundreds of high school players showed up to work out in front of Harbaugh, along with PJ Fleck and James Franklin. The coaches also spoke to the campers and then to the media. During Harbaugh's chat with the local beat, he shed some light on several situations that should grab the attention of Michigan fans as we embark on the summer.

"Coming to the University of Michigan is still going to be a transformational experience rather than a transactional experience."

Harbaugh was speaking in reference to NIL, and while he's all for cranking the name, image and likeness efforts up, he's not wrong with his sentiments either. The quote itself is a classic-sounding Harbaugh line, but it's not entirely lip service. What he's saying is the way it's going to be for athletes at U-M. Student athletes are going to be able to make some money while at Michigan, but it's not going to be a huge pay-for-play fun disguised as something else. Harbaugh would like a bit more freedom and must realize that Michigan could be a powerhouse if things were a little looser in Ann Arbor, but that's just not going to happen. Still, Harbaugh understands the importance of NIL and is definitely doing everything in his power to make sure that prospective students athletes and recruits know that there are opportunities at Michigan, while still going to Michigan for the right reasons.

“To my eye, this looks like Ronnie Bell before he injured the ACL — just the way he’s moving. I see him jump, I see him run, I see him cut — he’s definitely on track and looks about the same as he did before, maybe even a little bit better.”

This is a big deal and it actually jibes with everything I had heard in recent weeks. Bell has looked smooth, explosive and frankly, ready. Michigan's wide receiver room is loaded without Bell. With him, it could be downright dangerous. Bell has always had great hands, a phenomenal work ethic and a knack for making the big play. Those things should not be affected. If he truly is jumping, running and cutting like he was before, he's going to be dynamic for Michigan this fall. 

“JJ is feeling good about [his recovery]. The beautiful thing about JJ McCarthy is, he’s like a kid in the candy store — that’s his mentality, that’s his attitude. That hasn’t changed one bit. If that’s any indication, I would say he’s probably right on schedule.”

This one worries me just a bit. I don't think Harbaugh would necessarily say anything too specific about McCarthy's status anyways, but this answer just sounds vague and a little canned. McCarthy was cleared to throw weeks ago, and as far as I know, he is fine, but the way Harbaugh worded it makes me feel like he's a little worried. I could be reading too much into it because it's June and there's no football right now, but with most people hoping McCarthy gets his shot to be the guy, this quote wasn't very encouraging. 

“I’ll tell you the exact same thing I tell Cade and JJ or any other player on our team at any position that’s competing for a position. You know who’s going to play? The best player."

We'll see if Harbaugh really means that come September, because most with knowledge of the situation say that this should be McCarthy's offense to run. We certainly know that McCarthy is more athletic with his legs, has a much stronger arm and seems to be more confident in his skills, which allows him to be a little more explosive when it comes to giving his guys a chance on the ball, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's the best man for the job. After all, Cade did win 12 games last year while leading U-M to a huge win over Ohio State and a Big Ten title. That's hard to move on from no matter how dynamic McCarthy is.

“I know [Mike Sainristil] is going to stick on defense because we just went through a spring practice where he not only stuck but he really stood out." 

It was obviously a really small sample size, but Sainristil did stand out during the spring game and he was viewed by some as a better defensive back prospect coming out of high school. He's built more like a cornerback than he is a wide receiver, and with his ball skills and knowledge of the wide receiver position, he could be really, really solid on the defensive side of the ball. With a wide receiver room full of guys like Ronnie Bell, AJ Henning, Cornelius Johnson, Roman Wilson and even freshman Darrius Clemons, Sainristil might've seen more opportunity for himself at corner, and might be setting himself up for a future in the league at that position.