Rich Rodriguez: Denard Robinson will get plenty of reps, compete for starting job
Tate Forcier has a full spring under his belt, and as such, has an edge on fellow freshman Denard Robinson to be Michigan's starting quarterback this fall.
But Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez said he'll do all he can to catch Robinson up when practice opens Aug. 10.
“He’s got to be a sponge in the meetings and at practice and soak everything up," Rodriguez said. "He’s a very conscientious guy so I think he’ll do that. He’s going to be behind the other guys that have been here for obvious reasons, and I think he’s a pretty quick learner. When he gets to camp he’s going to make mistakes, but he’s got to be one that’s able to overcome that and relax."
If Robinson doesn't win the job, Rodriguez said he'll avoid any temptation to move the Florida state sprint champ to another position. Dual-threat quarterback Justin Feagin moved to slot receiver last year after he was slow to pick up the offense. Feagin was kicked off the team last week.
"He’ll be doing nothing but playing quarterback," Rodriguez said of Robinson. "Again, you move him to another position or any guy, it’s going to cause more confusion. If you learn quarterback, you can learn the other ones. He’s going to get a lot of reps. We’re going to rep him, we’re going to rep Nick (Sheridan) and we’re going to rep Tate a lot and see who wins the job."
Comments
Man in the Mirror
Thu, Jul 30, 2009 : 11:35 a.m.
RR doesn't sound to interested in Robinson. He has Forcier on his mind. Robinson will be a slot receiver after it's all said and done.
tater
Tue, Jul 28, 2009 : 1:20 p.m.
If DRob picks up the position quickly, it can only help UM. I hope he is truly able to give Forcier some competition for the job. I would really like to see both QB's get reps in most games. I know that most coaches who have tried dual QB's have been roundly criticized for it, but the spread opens myriad possibilities and may be the perfect situation for two QB's who compliment each other's strengths and weaknesses to thrive. RR may be the "Godfather of the Spread Option," but I'm sure he hasn't finished blazing trails yet.
azwolverine
Tue, Jul 28, 2009 : 1:17 p.m.
Sounds like a good plan. It's nice to have two studs and an experienced third guy as opposed to what we had going in last year. Granted, they're all still young and there will be growing pains, but overall this not a bad situation for Michigan to be in. I'm excited about the talent RR has brought together so far, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming season.