ESPN groups Michigan into an interesting tier: 'Who needs a QB anyway'

Trent Knoop | Aug 24, 2024

Blue Team quarterback Alex Orji (10) makes a pass against Maize Team during the second half of the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 20, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

ESPN went through and ranked all 134 FBS teams into a tier system. There were 20 total tiers for the 134 football schools. In the first tier, known as The Fantastic Four, there are the four teams that are the favorites entering the football season: Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, and Texas. Three teams the Wolverines will get to face in 2024.

But where are the defending national champions? Michigan is in tier three, also known as 'Who needs a quarterback anyway?' The maize and blue are grouped with Clemson, Florida State, and LSU. Three teams that could make noise in 2024 if things go right, but according to the article, all four teams have quarterback questions.

Focusing more on Michigan, the Wolverines lost their 27-1 starting quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, who is now with the Minnesota Vikings. The Wolverines have three quarterbacks vying for the starting job, but it sounds like it may be more of a two-man race between Alex Orji and Davis Warren with veteran Jack Tuttle in third.

J.J. McCarthy was a first-round selection in this year's NFL draft, but he wasn't exactly the key player in Michigan's title run. In the Wolverines' four defining wins of 2023 -- vs. Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama and Washington -- McCarthy accounted for just 50 completions and four touchdowns. But what he didn't do was make a big mistake that cost the Wolverines a game -- something that prior QB1s in Ann Arbor had a history of doing. The Shea Patterson era feels like a lifetime ago, but before McCarthy, he was the high-water mark for QB production in Michigan.

- David Hale - ESPN

Most people believe Orji will get the first crack at the starting job for Michigan. The redshirt sophomore has just one career pass attempt in college football. The dual-threat quarterback has shown he can be a menace on the ground, but Michigan will need to see he can move the chains and take care of the football to keep the starting job for the season.

Warren is another interesting guy who has been with the program for three seasons. He's been sharp during Michigan's spring games, but hasn't looked overly comfortable when he's seen game action. Warren has gone five-of-14 for 89 yards and an interception in two seasons when he's had chances to play.

It will be interesting to see the approach Michigan takes with its quarterback position. The Wolverines will take the field one week from today when they face Fresno State.

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