Reports: College Football Players Will Play In Michigan-Florida Game

Jim Harbaugh is confirmed to be coaching a football team up in Ann Arbor, but right now, that’s about all he’ll tell you. While it seems safe to assume that his football team is, in fact, made up of currently eligible football players, the most recent official roster out of Michigan is still from 2016.

Harbaugh claimed the brand-new 2017 roster would become public on Aug. 30, three days before the Wolverines’ season opener against Florida. It’s a move that’s befuddled both NJ.com, who’s waging war against Michigan’s public records department by trying to get a roster through the Freedom of Information Act, and Florida head coach Jim McElwain.

“When you guys get their roster, let me know. Maybe I can figure out who we’re playing,” McElwain told the media.

McElwain isn’t being very helpful either, though the situation is a little more clear down in Gainesville. We know, at the very least, that there are seven players not playing for the Gators, since the school suspended them for making money. At the quarterback position, however, McElwain claimed that as many as three different guys could see the field.

That trio consists of Jack Del Rio’s son Luke Del Rio, who is currently on his third college team and had surgery on both of his shoulders in March; Notre Dame grad transfer Malik Zaire; and 6-foot-6 freshman Feleipe Franks. The players don’t seem especially thrilled about the situation, or even confident about their abilities. “I’ve always had a pretty adequate arm,” Del Rio said of himself, while Zaire grumbled about the starting QB still being up in the air. From ESPN:

“Obviously it’s not ideal,” Zaire said. “I don’t think anybody in the quarterback room wants that. But at the end of the day, you just got to do what Coach wants. I feel like Coach should be confident enough to stick with a guy and be able to roll with that guy because that’s best for the team.”

“Will all play? I don’t know yet. Will a couple of them play? I don’t know yet. I know we will have somebody at the position,” said McElwain.

Get excited for Michigan-Florida, when some guys to be determined will try to stop ... somebody.