Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson pushing Tate Forcier for starting job

“I think that race is going to continue throughout spring and probably through August camp as well,” Rodriguez said. “We’re not just having Denard do one set of things and Tate do another. Right now, which is a good time for us to do it, we’re having all the quarterbacks do all the offense, and I think they’re progressing.”

Rodriguez said Forcier and Robinson have taken about equal snaps with the first-team offense through Michigan’s first nine spring practices. True freshman Devin Gardner, one of seven early enrollees, is third in the rotation.

Forcier led the Wolverines to a 4-0 start last year, but struggled with the rest of the offense during a 1-7 finish. He threw just four touchdown passes and seven interceptions in Michigan’s final seven games.

Robinson was electric at times as a freshman, breaking a 43-yard run on his first snap at quarterback. But he was limited in the offense by his lack of knowledge in the playbook.

Coaches generally called designed runs when Robinson was in the game, and Robinson finished the season 14-of-31 passing with four interceptions.

This spring, however, Robinson’s shown a better understanding of the offense and been able to diagnose defenses more quickly.

“I think he understands our concepts pretty well, but again this is his first spring practice,” Rodriguez said. Unlike Forcier, Robinson was not on campus for spring practice last year.

“When you get there in August for the first time you’re just trying to get ready for a gameplan once the games start and you lose some of the fundamental stuff. We really worked hard on his fundamentals. Again, he still has a ways to go, but he’s a talented, talented guy.”

So talented that Rodriguez said earlier this spring he hoped to practice Robinson some at receiver with the intent of getting him on the field as much as possible next year.

That hasn’t materialized this spring - Robinson has practiced almost exclusively at quarterback - but Rodriguez said the quarterback competition is good for all involved.

“Tate’s a very, very competitive guy,” Rodriguez said. “I think he’s a guy that likes challenges, and in the last couple practices he’s responded with that. But we’re going to keep the pressure on him because we’ve got to play better at that position. And Tate and Denard and Devin all have the talent to do it, they just got to continue to understand what we expect out of that position all the way around."