ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The debate and speculation whether Michigan senior defensive lineman Maurice Hurst will participate in the Outback Bowl was swiftly ended Wednesday night by head coach Jim Harbaugh.

When asked directly whether he expects to play or whether he's made a decision, the headman put it bluntly.

Hurst would be playing.

"Yes, he's playing," Harbaugh told reporters. "That's what he's told us."

He added:

"He wants to do what's best for Mo Hurst but he also wants to do what's best for the team."

Hurst, who met with reporters earlier this month, said that he was unsure whether he will be participating in the bowl game or not, as the threat of injury could derail his plans of becoming a high draft pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

“No I haven’t,” Hurst said in early December regarding whether he will play in the bowl game. “Just talking to my family [for advice] and talking to Jake [Butt] and Chris [Wormley]. Just talking to the guys who may have had that similar decision. Talking to Coach Harbaugh, just making sure I am making the best decision for myself and my family.”

For Hurst, seeing what happened to senior tight end Jake Butt against Florida State in last year's Orange Bowl gave him pause. As Butt's torn ACL greatly impacted his draft positioning, something that Hurst doesn't want to do himself.

However, according to Harbaugh, Hurst will be donning the winged helmet for the final time when the Wolverines take on South Carolina in the Outback Bowl on January 1.