Name: Peyton Smith
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 192 lbs.
High school: Traverse City (MI) Central
Position: Quarterback
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #17
Last year: I ranked Smith #96 and said he would be a backup quarterback (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: N/A
Michigan seems to have built up a pretty solid quarterback room. In a way, I think some of the walk-ons are more impressive than some of the scholarship players. Smith has potential and value as a scout team player, but with so many scholarship quarterbacks on the roster - and Davis Warren seemingly moving up the ranks - I don't think that Peyton Smith is going to get much of a shot, at least not in 2022.
Prediction: Backup quarterback
It looks like Davis Warren has potential. For the Spring Game being his first action, he showed a lot of promise. There were rough edges too. But if he keeps progressing, he could be challenging for the #2 QB spot. Though I don't mean this year. But JJ McCarthy has reason to look over his shoulder.
ReplyDeleteThere are probably many ways it helps Michigan to have guys like Smith and Warren around (practice, film room, etc.) but the biggest beneficiary maybe whoever gets them as grad transfer.
ReplyDeleteWarren was scout team player of the week 3 times last year. Previously, walk-on Ren Hefley was scout team player of the week twice (once in '19 and and again in '20).
Hefley transferred after 2 years to start for the Presbyterian Blue Horses. He threw for almost 4000 yards and 40 TDs last year, albeit on some pretty uninspiring efficiency numbers and with 30 INTs. Still, he got his name in the record books with a 10 TD game and he's got multiple years of eligibility left.
The other tread was talking about incentives for walk-ons to come to Michigan and I think for a QB to be coached by Harbaugh and Weiss, it's pretty high. If your offers are so so and you're going to sit the bench anyway, you might look at Michigan as a better place to get elite coaching, skills development, team experience, and education.
Others will say you have to play to grow at your position but I believe most of it happens Sunday to Friday.
Did Hefley look good in a Spring Game? I don't know if he did or not. Honestly, Warren had quicker check down reads than I've ever seen from JJ McCarthy. I love some of the plays I've seen from McCarthy. But he needs a lot of work on doing quick check downs. There's is little of that in his game right now. Space Coyote did some stuff on it. And until now, I haven't seen much of a change in McCarthy since then. And he does make some risky throws.
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