Alex Orji, Davis Warren or Jack Tuttle? Michigan Wolverines spring game offers few clues as to who will be QB1 in 2024
On a chilly and overcast April afternoon in Ann Arbor, Michigan celebrated its 2023 national championship by holding a ring ceremony and watching former head coach Jim Harbaugh fulfill his promise of getting a 15-0 tattoo.
The Maize & Blue then ushered in the Sherrone Moore era, holding a nationally televised spring game that featured a crowded quarterback battle.
By the end of the day, the competition was much like the weather in Michigan: Cloudy.
With the way Moore & Co., scripted the scrimmage — 12 minute quarters, running clock and snaps for four quarterbacks — it was difficult to get a read on where the Wolverines’ battle to replace J.J. McCarthy sits entering the summer.
Is Alex Orji actually the guy? Is senior walk-on Davis Warren truly in the mix? What happens when Jack Tuttle gets healthy?
Orji and Warren took the initial snaps in the first quarter of Saturday’s spring game, but then they watched Jayden Denegal and freshman Jadyn Davis play almost exclusively in the second and third quarters before both quarterbacks returned to the field for the final period.
Overall, Warren had the best day, throwing a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns including a 42-yard bomb to Kendrick Bell. Orji was totally out-of-sync to start (first throw was at the fullback’s feet, second pass was way behind his intended receiver) before finding a rhythm and capping off a long drive with a touchdown run.
The 6-3, 236-pound junior is clearly a dynamic athlete and offers the highest upside in the room, but there remain lingering questions about his ability as a pocket passer. On Saturday, he wasn’t asked to throw hardly at all until the final series — when it was garbage time and the defense was playing mostly in a base shell. Orji was accurate on his limited short throws, and notably, he played clean game showing a strong command operationally of the offense.
But if Michigan isn’t going to let the junior cut it loose in the spring game, it’s difficult to know what exactly to glean from that.
It does seem clear that Orji, Warren and Tuttle, who didn’t participate in Saturday’s scrimmage as he continues to rehab an injury, are the three quarterbacks truly competing to start in 2024.
Michigan isn’t going to rely on a true freshman in its quest to repeat as national champions, and Jayden Denegal simply looked overmatched too many times Saturday (one ugly interception, another pass that should’ve been picked).
Barring an entry from a true game-changer over the next 10 days, the available options in the transfer portal aren’t overly attractive, either. After the spring game, newly-promoted offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell was adamant that Michigan was content with the options it has on the roster.
“That’s not part of our thought process right now,” he said on adding a QB from the portal.
“Roster evaluation is always part of the process, but right now, that’s not something we’re looking at.”
The good news is the pieces around Michigan’s quarterback looked pretty good Saturday.
Despite so much talent departing for the NFL, Michigan’s roster might be in better shape than some anticipated. The defensive line is still great, and the pass rush might not miss a beat with the emergence of TJ Guy this spring. Wink Martindale was blitzing like crazy, and oftentimes, his guys were getting home.
Offensively, Donovan Edwards headlines a talented backfield, and wideout Fredrick Moore (a sophomore burner who had a long catch-and-run touchdown) and No. 2 tight end Marlin Klein look like they could be breakout playmakers.
But everything still centers around the quarterback. McCarthy wasn’t asked to do a whole lot in the Wolverines’ title run, but the next guy will be asked to shoulder a bigger load.
Maybe it’s a two-QB system (which reportedly is being considered)? Perhaps Alex Orji is the man despite one-career attempt and zero downfield throws on tape. Or what if Moore does have an ace-in-the-hole transfer in mind who simply hasn’t hit the portal yet?
After Saturday, all we know is Michigan doesn’t look any closer to answering that question just yet.