Rudock and Michigan officially official

Michigan officially announced Thursday that former Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock will join the Wolverines' program as a graduate student. Rudock, a two-year starter for the Hawkeyes, will be eligible to compete for UM this fall.

'I am excited for Jake to get here and compete with the quarterbacks that we already have in the program,” said Jedd Fisch, U-M's passing game coordinator and quarterbacks and wide receivers coach. 'I've known Jake for a long time, since 2011, and I am excited to be a part of the staff that is now coaching him.

'I think that Jake brings great maturity and experience to the program,” added Fisch, who, as offensive coordinator at Miami (Fla.), recruited Rudock as a prep out of St. Thomas Aquinas in Weston, Fla. 'He has 25 starts under his belt in the Big Ten and a winning record of 15-10. All of that, combined with the quarterbacks we currently have in the program and all the skill we are surrounding him with, we are excited about the things that Jake can do for our program.”

Rudock spoke to MGoBlue.com about his move on Thursday evening. Yes, new Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was very much a part of the attraction.

'Coach Harbaugh is very energetic,” said Rudock, 'and I noticed right off the bat how involved he is in practices. I enjoyed our conversations, and one thing is for sure: When Coach Harbaugh walks into a room, he changes the thermostat.”

Rudock will graduate from Iowa in mid-May and then jump right into the Michigan playbook. Last season, Rudock threw for 2,436 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. He ranked second in the Big Ten in completion percentage (61.7%). Rudock played in 25 career games, completing 417-of-691 passes (60.3 percent) for 4,819 yards with 34 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

Rudock posted a 15-10 record as Iowa's starter. Last season, Iowa finished sixth in the Big Ten with 39 pass plays of 20-plus yards. Rudock had 31 of those, which tied him for 68th nationally.

Rudock will graduate this spring with a degree in interdepartmental studies/multidisciplinary sciences. He earned Academic All-Big Ten Conference honors each of the past two seasons. He will enroll in UM's School of Kinesiology and pursue a master's degree in movement science.

Rudock lost the Iowa job to junior C.J. Beathard in January, when Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz announced a depth chart that listed Beathard as the No. 1. Ferentz let both QBs know that was the plan for 2015 and they should plan accordingly.

Rudock will be the second consecutive senior quarterback to leave Iowa as a graduate transfer and play his senior season at another school. Last year, Cody Sokol departed and won a bowl game at Louisiana Tech.

After Beathard, Iowa's QB depth chart goes redshirt freshman Tyler Wiegers and incoming freshmen Ryan Boyle and Drew Cook.

So, maybe senior QBs who aren't starters will - or have - become a scarce commodity for the Hawkeyes?

Rudock steps into a competitive situation at Michigan. He will battle Shane Morris (who was named the leader after the Wolverines concluded spring practice last weekend), redshirt freshman Wilton Speight and true freshmen Alex Malzone and Zach Gentry.

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