Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock receives congratulations from coach Jim Harbaugh after passing for a touchdown against Rutgers at Michigan Stadium.(Photo: Rick Osentoski USA TODAY Sports) Jim Harbaugh has a reputation as a quarterback guru, elevating players to a level beyond what many expect. His latest project is Michigan’s Jake Rudock, the fifth-year graduate transfer who is coming off of his best game of the season: 337 passing yards in Michigan’s 49-16 win over Rutgers. Harbaugh now sees a football future for Rudock beyond U-M. “I really felt like, watching this game, Jake played his best game. He looked like an NFL-type quarterback, somebody that had a future playing in the league,” said Harbaugh, who played the position for 15 years in the NFL and coached it the past four as the San Francisco 49ers head coach. “The way he’s now playing and operating, I see that jump that he’s made.” Rudock leads the Big Ten with a completion rate of 62.8%. His interceptions have dropped sharply, with only two in the past five games. While many would question Rudock’s credentials — this was just his second 200-yard passing game of the season and first since the opener — Harbaugh reminded that he has evaluated guys before. “I would compare it to a birdwatcher — can tell what kind of bird, the species, etc., the way it moves. They call it the gist of the bird,” he said. “With my own eye, the gist of an NFL quarterback, after this game, seeing Jake that way … I saw it this week. I see it now, with the way he played in this game, the things he does.” Harbaugh got two quarterbacks at the University of San Diego — Todd Mortensen and Josh Johnson — NFL chances, not to mention Andrew Luck at Stanford. With the 49ers, he got the most out of Alex Smith and then developed Colin Kaepernick, who thrived under him before declining this season, after Harbaugh left. …
Continue Reading: UM news conference recap: Rudock, OSU talk, personnel
