LIVE UPDATES: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan players at 2023 Big Ten Media Days
INDIANAPOLIS — Head coach Jim Harbaugh, senior running back Blake Corum, senior defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and graduate defensive back Mike Sainristil are representing Michigan Wolverines football at Big Ten Media Days Thursday. All four will meet with reporters ahead of the 2023 season.
Here’s Michigan’s schedule for the day:
• Harbaugh addresses media with opening statement and Q&A — 12:30 p.m. ET (live on Big Ten Network)
• Michigan players at individual podiums — 1:15-1:45 p.m. ET
• Harbaugh at individual podium — 3:30 p.m ET
Throughout the day, TheWolverine.com will provide updates regarding Michigan and other pertinent Big Ten news. Follow along below, with updates listed in reverse chronological order (most recent at the top).
Live updates: Michigan football at Big Ten Media Days
• 4:24 p.m. – Harbaugh ends his media session after question about when he might know more about the timeline of a suspension, says that he cannot speak on any aspect of the situation.
• 4:20 p.m. – After endorsing the Champions Circle NIL collective this week, Harbaugh says: “It’s coming along. It’s so new, but I think it’s coming along.” Says that the Champions Circle deserves a pat on the back for the work it has done so far.
• 4:19 p.m. – Harbaugh says that he is not sure who will be the team’s backup quarterback yet and that it will be one of the things that get figured out in fall camp. In a separate question, says he will have to remember what it is like to speak to a kicking specialist after making a mistake. As of now, James Turner and Tommy Doman are considered the favorites at kicker and punter, respectively. On Doman, “We haven’t seen a leg like this since I’ve been here.”
• 4:15 p.m. – Asked about a contract extension, Harbaugh said he would let the powers that be figure that out and that he was only interested in discussing football.
• 4:13 p.m. – Harbaugh does not believe “Championship or Bust” is on the table for Michigan, but that they have title aspirations and goals every year in winning their rivalry games, beating Penn State and winning the Big Ten and national titles.
• 4:12 p.m. – Harbaugh says that he has no input on Michigan’s schedule and that he has not had a hand in building schedules since he was at Stanford.
• 4:08 p.m. – Harbaugh says that getting Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards as close to the same amount of carries as possible is an emphasis. Reiterates the message from earlier this summer that they want to spread out touches on offense.
• 4:05 p.m. – UMass transfer Josh Wallace “has the license and ability” to win the No. 2 cornerback job when he joins the team in fall camp.
• 4:03 p.m. – “The goal is mutual respect and tremendous competition” for the Michigan State rivalry. Michigan says it has that, but he cannot speak for the other side. “That’s unknowable,” Harbaugh says he has not spoken to Mel Tucker since last year’s game.
• 4:01 p.m. – Harbaugh believes Michigan has two starting-caliber centers in Stanford transfer Drake Nugent and junior Greg Crippen. Both could be potential All-Big Ten players. Also sees that potential with the group of players competing for spots at both starting tackle spots.
• 3:58 p.m. – Positions battles, like the quarterback situation last year, can go into the regular season if they are too close to call when camp ends.
• 3:57 p.m. – Harbaugh said that they implemented the Beat Georgia drill because “if you want to be the man, you have to beat the man” in reference to famous pro wrestler Ric Flair.
• 3:54 p.m. – Harbaugh says he considers Coastal Carolina transfer Josaiah Stewart one of four starting-caliber players at EDGE. The battle could go into the regular season like it did with the quarterbacks last year.
• 3:51 p.m. – After addressing a question about if any freshmen could surprise like Mason Graham did last season, Harbaugh asked about Cade McNamara and raves about what he brought to Michigan. “He’s somebody that went into a game in 2020 down 17 points and brought us back the minute he went into the game. Saw the gravel in the gut that he had.”
• 3:47 p.m. – Harbaugh reiterates that he cannot speak about any aspect of the investigation with the NCAA situation. Pressed several times by other media members, but would not budge, but says “I’m with you, though.”
• 3:45 p.m. – Harbaugh has taken the podium for his breakout session at media days. Says that J.J. McCarthy is not at media days because they focus on bring fourth and fifth year players to the event.
• 1:17 p.m. — Corum says that Michigan has a “special team.” He discusses coming back for his senior season for “unfinished business.” But now, heading into the season, it’s “day by day,” focusing on the opener against ECU. “It’s win or bust, we know that, but we don’t have to say anything.”
• 1:13 p.m. — Corum says if Harbaugh is suspended that it could “light a fire” under he and the team.
• 1:12 p.m. — Corum says he is fully back from his knee injury and feels “like a million bucks.”
• 1:07 p.m. — Michigan players will be meeting with reporters at 1:15 p.m. Stay tuned for select quotes and notable stories.
• 12:57 p.m. — Harbaugh’s session at the podium is complete. He will meet with reporters later this afternoon.
• 12:56 p.m. — Harbaugh on NIL: “We support our collective. Former player, Jared Wangler, everybody who cares about Michigan can’t wait, have a great golf tournament coming up on July 31st. Looking forward to building on that.”
• 12:54 p.m. — Harbaugh discusses that it “made my offseason” that Blake Corum returned for his senior season. Elements that went into the decision, per the Michigan coach, were that he wanted a full offseason before going into the NFL (given he was hurt at the end of last season) and that he wants to be even better than he was a year ago once fully healthy.
• 12:53 p.m. — Harbaugh says his team is very hard working and they’re focused on “now.” He said they don’t want to hear about what they did last year.
• 12:50 p.m. — Harbaugh discusses the cornerback situation: “Amorion Walker, Josh Wallace, Ja’Den McBurrows, some other very fine players, newcomers, but I think it will come down to a situation where Mikey will be a starter, Will Johnson will be a starter, and then who is that other starter, whether it’s at nickel or corner? Probably will take into training camp, maybe in the first couple games of the season. Probably will be the same thing at edge rusher. … Might go into game 1, game 2, similar to what we saw last year at the quarterback position.”
Harbaugh adds that he looks at 10 guys as “starter-caliber.” Running back situation is “two great players with Dono[van Edwards] and Blake, Blake and Dono.” Harbaugh adds that “the longer it takes for him to figure out how great he is, the better he’ll be,” about tight end Colston Loveland.
• 12:49 p.m. — Harbaugh says that quarterback J.J. McCarthy learned from watching Cade McNamara, now at Iowa, grind. His favorite memory of McNamara was coming off the bench to lead Michigan to a comeback victory over Rutgers in 2020. “Love Cade, and certainly J.J. was in the same quarterback room and saw all those same attributes. It was tremendous,” Harbaugh said.
• 12:47 p.m. — Harbaugh asked about the NCAA investigation into he and his program: “As you probably already know, I’m not allowed to talk about any aspect of that ongoing situation. I’d love to lay it all out there — nothing to be ashamed of — but now is not that time. That’s about all there is to say about that.”
• 12:46 p.m. — Harbaugh was asked about the one-time transfer rule, since he was a proponent of it long before it was implemented. “So far, so good, and no need to change. Surely, need more data. Of all the players I talk to — the ones that were on our team that went into the portal, good thing. Those that came from the portal to our team, they categorize it as a good thing. And at least it was their decision. … Even when I talk to our own players that haven’t gone into the portal, when I talk to them, they say it does more good than it does negative.”
• 12:44 p.m. — Harbaugh doesn’t have a “particular opinion” on whether or not Michigan-Ohio State should be moved off the last weekend of the regular season. He says they’ll expect it at the end of the year and points out that it’s become part of the Thanksgiving weekend tradition.
• 12:42 p.m. — Harbaugh asked by The Wolverine’s John Borton about quarterback J.J. McCarthy: “I have searched my memory for someone who’s had a better year as a first-time starter. He’s a once-in-a-generational type of quarterback at Michigan, and his progress continues to grow. Daily, he’s at the top of his game right now in all aspects — everything that he does every day, everything he does throwing the football are at the elite level. The thing that makes him the most special, differentiating good and great, is that he’s willing to do anything for his teammates, anything for his team. I think there are some comparisons to Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen — and I know that there are others at the quarterback position that are willing to do anything for their team.”
• 12:42 — Harbaugh says that Michigan has had a “tremendous” offseason built off of work. He confirms that the Wolverines will begin practice August 2.
• 12: 41 p.m. — Having been introduced by BTN’s Dave Revsine, Harbaugh is now taking the stage.
• 11:01 a.m. — Michigan has arrived to Lucas Oil Stadium, and players are participating in media interviews.
• 11 a.m. — Indiana’s Tom Allen will kick off Big Ten coaches at the podium, followed by Maryland’s Michael Locksley (11:15), Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck (11:30), Purdue’s Ryan Walters (11:45), Nebraska’s Matt Rhule (noon), Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell (12:15) and Harbaugh (12:30).
More on Michigan at Big Ten Media Days
Harbaugh will face questions regarding his likely suspension for the first four games of the 2023 season. His attorney, Tom Mars, said in a statement earlier in the week that they are not allowed to comment, so Harbaugh probably won’t be able to say much.
Aside from that controversy, Michigan — the Big Ten’s back-to-back champion — will answer questions about its recent success and being favored to win the conference per the media poll released earlier this week. Corum is a Heisman contender after finishing seventh in voting last season, Jenkins is expected to emerge as one of the Big Ten’s top breakout players and Sainristil is entering his second season as a defender, after making the switch from wide receiver prior to the 2022 campaign.
Rivals Michigan State and Ohio State spoke at media days Wednesday. MSU head coach Mel Tucker said he has no intent to tone down the rivalry, even after several of his players, unprovoked, assaulted U-M athletes in The Big House tunnel after losing to the Maize and Blue 29-7 last fall. Ohio State’s Ryan Day, meanwhile, said losing his last two games (to Michigan and Georgia) came down to a handful of plays. He also opined that moving Michigan-Ohio State off of the final weekend of the regular season should be considered since Big Ten divisions will no longer exist beginning in 2024.
