After being hired to coach the Michigan Wolverines football team, Jim Harbaugh took two NFL quarterback prospects under his wing ahead of the combine in Indianapolis.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Harbaugh hosted Jameis Winston and Bryce Petty at the Ann Arbor campus Tuesday. Both players were in San Diego, Calif. training with noted QB coach George Whitfield Jr.
Harbaugh may not work as a QB coach like Whitfield does, but Winton and Petty's trip all the way to Michigan is a testament to the coach's knowledge of the position.
A university spokesperson told the Free Press Winston and Petty sought Harbaugh's advice on getting "acclimated to the time and weather, and throw in an indoor facility before going to Lucas Oil (Stadium)."
But the Michigan coach's track record includes - most recently - coaching Andrew Luck at Stanford, helping Alex Smith reinvent himself in San Francisco and then turning Colin Kaepernick into a superstar.
Winston is widely projected to be the top pick in the NFL Draft, going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Evaluators at ESPN say he has prototypical size, great production at Florida State and uncommonly refined arm talent.
Petty, on the other hand, is projected as a mid- or late-round pick. Like Winston, Petty is a pocket passer with respectable athleticism and good size, but ESPN's evaluators are not nearly as sure about his ability translating to the NFL.
While Winston could likely afford to skip participating in the combine's passing drills, Petty seems the kind of prospect bound to take part. The two QBs will also be looking to showcase their athleticism in the physical drills and their personality in the various interviews and the Wonderlic test.