Head coach Jim Harbaugh has been suspended for the first three games of the Michigan Wolverines’ season for allegedly lying to investigators when questioned about NCAA recruiting violations. On Saturday, with the Wolverines making their season debut against East Carolina, we saw Michigan’s offense show their support for their absent coach with a very unique pre-snap formation once they broke the huddle.
Here, you’ll see each member of the Michigan offense take a moment to form a single-file line, holding up the No. 4 with their fingers before getting into a normal formation to begin play.
No. 4 of course, was Harbaugh’s jersey number at Michigan during his playing days from 1983-86, when the QB finished third in the Heisman voting in his final season before becoming a first-round draft pick in 1987 by the Chicago Bears.
Even though Michigan’s players won’t have the advantage of having Coach Harbaugh lead them against East Carolina, it’s clear his impact has left a lasting impression on the student-athletes on campus.
The Wolverines, who went 13-1 in 2022, are led by defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who is handling coaching duties against East Carolina on Saturday afternoon. QB coach Kirk Campbell is calling plays offensively for the Wolverines, with J.J. McCarthy set to return under center and previous Heisman candidate Blake Corum coming back from offseason knee surgery too.
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