John Navarre will start at quarterback for Michigan, but was there ever really any doubt?

Michigan coach Lloyd Carr informed Navarre, Spencer Brinton and Matt Gutierrez Wednesday that Navarre, the incumbent, had won the competition and will start against Washington Aug. 31. Carr told an alumni group the news, but will not address the media until Monday's luncheon.

Navarre, who has started 16 games during the past two seasons, created a supposed quarterback controversy with his erratic performance in the second half of last season. Navarre looked like a traditional Michigan quarterback during the first half, throwing just four interceptions in the first seven games, leading the Wolverines to a 6-1 record and a No. 4 ranking in the Bowl Championship Series.

In the final five games, he threw nine interceptions, as Michigan's season took a nosedive which finished with a crash landing in its 45-17 loss to Tennessee in the Florida Citrus Bowl.

But Navarre has recovered from his nightmarish finish to last season.

He'll tell you that his confidence has returned, and he's the first to say that he's in better physical shape. The junior lost 18 pounds in the offseason, and it seems that his work ethic has made an impression on Carr and his teammates.

"There is no question that he has made real strides," Carr said Tuesday. "I think that if you ask the team, you have a lot of confidence in him. I think that they like him."

Navarre has also been working with new quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler, who has turned the Cudahy, Wisc. native into a student of the game. His increased awareness should benefit him in new offensive coordinator Terry Malone's new scheme, which players say is a more "player-friendly" approach.

Carr said that they have been working hard at picking up blitzes, which was one of the things Navarre struggled with last season.

Navarre's real competition has been Brinton, the junior transfer from San Diego State. Brinton made things really interesting at the end of spring practice at the annual spring game, outplaying Navarre by completing 11-of-18 passes for 126 yards and one score. If Navarre falters out of the gate against the Huskies, don't be surprised to see No. 7 quarterbacking the Wolverines again.

"He has worked extremely hard, and he has made a lot of strides," Carr said of Brinton. "We have a good position there."

Carr said in February that Brinton "hit a plateau" during his first season with the Wolverines and really struggled getting his feel for the game back. As with Navarre, his work with Loeffler has helped him to truly understand the game and be able to read different coverages.

Perry scary: Carr said that he is "very pleased" with junior running back Chris Perry, who is expected to start against Washington along with senior B. J. Askew at fullback. Carr said that Perry lost some weight and that he is in much better shape than in last year's fall camp. Sophomore David Underwood will back up Perry, as sophomore Tim Bracken, who is returning from an injured knee, has not fully recovered and needs more time to return to his old form.

"Timmy Bracken is not where he was," Carr said. "He has been out of activity for eight or nine months. In terms of football, we have gone at it pretty hard and he has done well, but he is a little sore and a little banged up because he is doing things that he has not done in a little while. I think he will get there."

Early impression: While it looks as if sophomore Braylon Edwards and senior Ronald Bellamy will start for the Wolverines at wide receiver, Carr is expecting his talented trio of freshmen wideouts to contribute as well.

Jason Avant, out of Chicago, received the most praise from Carr, who is almost certain that Avant will receive some playing time. Last month, Steve Breaston dazzled fans and media at the annual Big 33 Football Classic, which matches the best high school talent from Pennsylvania and Ohio. But Carr said Breaston, who played quarterback in high school, is still learning the ropes at his new position.

"Breaston has good explosiveness that I like," Carr said. "He's going to be a return guy. We have to see what our plans are and where he fits in. Everything is new for him in terms of coverages and all of the things that he has to learn. He is a smart guy, and it is just a matter of time because he has all of the ability that it takes."

Ann Arbor native Carl Tabb could also be in the mix at some point this season.

Impending doom: The Wolverines' fall camp has probably gone too smoothly. Just two players have suffered injuries, and even those were minor. Bellamy hurt his shoulder making a diving catch, but sat out just a couple days before returning to the field.