When Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier was ruled ineligible for the Gator Bowl, his future with the program became questionable. Those concerns will only increase with a report in the Michigan Daily that Forcier did not enroll in classes for the Winter 2011 semester.
During the press conference to introduce new coach Brady Hoke, athletic director Dave Brandon confirmed that Forcier was not currently with the program.
Forcier had dealt with rumors that he might transfer to another school all season long, after not playing in Michigan’s season opener versus Connecticut. That followed a tumultous offseason in which he rankled coaches and teammates by not showing up for workouts and neglecting academics.
The add-drop deadline for students to enroll in classes at Michigan is January 25, which gives Forcier time to get back into school. Perhaps he was waiting to see how the coaching situation worked itself out before committing to return.
With Hoke now in place, and reports that he’ll bring offensive coordinator Al Borges along with him from San Diego State, Forcier would seemingly have a new opportunity to win back the starting quarterback job. Figuring out how best to utilize Robinson’s talents appears to be the priority, judging from remarks made at the Hoke press conference. But with Borges’ (and presumably Hoke’s) preference to run a pro-style (“West Coast offense”) system, Forcier’s more polished passing skills might give him an edge.
But if Forcier doesn’t return and Robinson ends up transferring, Devin Gardner would become the obvious favorite to be the starting quarterback next season. That would be the fourth consecutive season in which Michigan broke in a first-time starter under center.