"Despite mounting evidence that Alex Smith will be back as the 49ers starting quarterback, Michael Crabtree held off on the coronation. The receiver was puzzled Monday by questions that assumed Smith would be the one throwing him passes in 2011.

"I wish I could tell you who is going to be the quarterback. I don't know," Crabtree said after the 49ers' first large-scale player-organized workout. "Whoever the quarterback is, I'm 100 percent down with it and I'm ready to go. That's it."

New coach Jim Harbaugh has indicated several times during the offseason that he expects Smith to head into training camp as the No. 1 quarterback. After the draft, Harbaugh went so far as to say, "If I'm a betting man, then I'm betting on Alex Smith."

Crabtree proved less willing to place his wager. When a reporter asked the receiver Monday about developing better chemistry with his quarterback, Crabtree needed clarification. "Who's the quarterback?" he asked.

Smith, who is not yet under contract for this season, has been organizing informal player workouts at San Jose State during the NFL lockout. Monday's practice session was the first one to resemble a true minicamp, with nearly two dozen players on hand -- most of them on the offensive side.

Crabtree has drawn criticism for working out separately from Smith despite being in the Bay Area. But Crabtree said he's been pushing himself hard during his private workouts and said he was happy to join the action at San Jose State now that it was a teamwide function.

"I'm one of the hardest workers on the team. You can write that down -- I work out hard, man," Crabtree said. "That's just what I do. I'm not worried about what people are saying. If the guys are out here, I'm here. (Critics) have to know that. They have to understand that.""