Michigan assistant coach: 'We could win a national championship with either' starting quarterback

Who's going to be the Wolverines' starting quarterback in 2024? One Michigan assistant coach doesn't seem to think it matters much...

Michigan quarterback Alex Orji (10) warms up ahead of the Rose Bowl game against Alabama at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

All eyes and attention have been on Michigan football's starting quarterback competition from the moment J.J. McCarthy announced his intent to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft.

All five quarterbacks on the Wolverines' roster — graduate senior Jack Tuttle, redshirt junior Davis Warren, redshirt sophomores Alex Orji and Jayden Denegal, and true freshman Jadyn Davis — were given an opportunity in spring practice, though Tuttle was limited by injury. The race seemed to narrow to Orji, Warren and Tuttle this summer and into fall camp, and it's now a two-man race between Orji and Warren as Tuttle's injury concerns linger.

While quarterback understandably draws the most attention, perhaps the focus would have been better spent elsewhere. The Wolverines' offense is built around physicality and running the football, and while McCarthy's arm talent, mobility, accuracy and leadership certainly played a major role in this program's success last season, Michigan's offensive aptitude will be determined by those first two traits.

Perhaps that's why U-M offensive line coach Grant Newsome exuded so much confidence in his media availablity on Wednesday. Whether it's Orji or Warren who takes the first offensive snap in Saturday's season-opener against Fresno State, Newsome believes the Wolverines can accomplish all of their goals this fall.

"I'd feel like I'd be really, really happy with both those guys," the O-line coach said. "I feel like we could win a national championship with either one of them. So I'm excited to see how it plays out, but I got full trust in both those guys.

Michigan tight ends coach Grant Newsome talks to players at a timeout during the second half of U-M's 30-3 win on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, at Michigan Stadium. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Asked whether there was a sense internally amongst the team or the players on which quarterback should be chosen as the Wolverines' starter, Newsome was non-committal.

"I don't know if that's true," he said. "I feel full confidence, as I know the guys do, in either one of those guys. Truthfully, even beyond them. I think it's a credit to [offensive coordinator and QB coach Kirk] Campbell and the guys in that room that it's not some kind of drastic difference depending on who the quarterback is. They all can command the huddle. They all can command the team and command the offense. So I think we all have full confidence, players and coaches, that no matter who it is on Saturday night, they're going to be able to go out there and execute and be a leader, just like we feel the same about center, feel the same about right tackle, and I'm sure other coaches will say the same in other positions."

Despite losing its top six O-lineman from last year's squad, Newsome is confident in Michigan's depth up front again in 2024, affirming U-M could go nine or 10 deep along the offensive line when asked.

"I feel like we're in a good position where we can roll out multiple guys in most positions and be really, really competitive and have full trust in those guys," Newsome said. "It's a credit to the guys in the room. I think they're hungry. I think, either intentional or unintentional, I feel like they feel like they've been kind of overlooked because of who we had in that room before them. It's a credit to those six guys we had. They were really, really elite players. We've had some really good ones in that room behind them. So, I think now they're excited to go out and kind of have their turn so to speak to prove just how good they are."

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