3 replacements for Michigan if Jim Harbaugh is fired or leaves for the NFL

If Michigan doesn’t grab him, somebody else will

Michigan thought it hired a brilliant offensive mind by bringing back its former Heisman Trophy finalist on campus in Harbaugh. Though it did get better over what was the Brady Hoke disaster, to say the Wolverines football program has plateaued would be an understatement. While it may be a tad premature to look his way, somebody will try to hire Graham Harrell this offseason cycle.

The former Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback won a Super Bowl backing up Aaron Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers. Since 2014, he went into coaching, initially serving as former college head coach Mike Leach’s wide receivers coach with the Washington State Cougars. After calling plays for three years with the North Texas Mean Green, Harrell now does the same for the USC Trojans.

Though we are not totally sure how good USC will be this season, we should expect a ton of points in Harrell’s second season coaching quarterback Kedon Slovis. If USC wins the Pac-12 South and faces presumptively the Oregon Ducks in the conference title bout, Harrell will get looks as the next Lincoln Riley in the Power 5. This would be an opportunity for Michigan to get ahead here.

Harrell is only 35-years-old, but it would serve a program with a lackluster offensive like Michigan to at least consider someone like him. Let’s be real. If the Trojans are a disaster under Clay Helton this year, Harrell might be a candidate to be promoted from within. But if the Trojans are as good as we think they will be, USC will not fire Helton and thus, Harrell might be on the move in 2021.