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Michigan Football: Wolverines have already addressed their biggest issue from 2024

Chris Breiler

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Heading into the 2024 season, one of the the biggest question marks surrounding the Michigan Football program was at the quarterback position. Who would replace former starting quarterback JJ McCarthy, and would the Wolverines need to search for that replacement in the transfer portal? Although there was experience in the quarterback room in Ann Arbor, none of the available options had ever established themselves as bona fide starters at the colligate level.

While head coach Sherrone Moore reportedly looked at the portal for a solution, he ultimately decided to roll with the existing options on the roster - including Davis Warren, Alex Orji, Jack Tuttle, and true freshman Jadyn Davis. At the time, it seemed like a safe play. Warren and Tuttle represented two veteran options who could serve as "game managers" similar to what we saw with Cade McNamara back in 2021, while Orji represented a dual-threat with upside.

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What seemed like a safe play for one season quickly became an obvious deficiency for the Wolverines, as Michigan cycled through three different starting QB's during the 2024 season. Davis Warren was serviceable as the starter to begin the year, but his six turnovers in three games led Sherrone Moore to replace him with Alex Orji in Week 4. Orji never blossomed the way that most had hoped given his skillset, and Michigan's lackluster passing attack seemed to regress when he took over. That led to another quarterback change in Week 6 on the road against Washington, and this time Moore turned to veteran Jack Tuttle. The seventh year QB seemed to provide a spark initially, but his turnover issues ultimately cost him the job after a brutal performance against Illinois in Week 7.

With no other viable option left on the roster, Moore went back to the guy he started the season with - Davis Warren. The senior QB was far better with his ball security down the stretch, and helped lead the Wolverines to two big rivalry wins over Michigan State and Ohio State to close out the regular season. While Warren's progress was impressive, the 2024 season served as a stark reminder of just how critical the quarterback position is.

Determined not to make the same mistake twice, Sherrone Moore went all-in on elevating the quarterback room in Ann Arbor. It began with spearheading the effort to flip five-star QB Bryce Underwood from LSU, and Moore was successful in that effort. And although there's no question that Underwood is the future for Michigan, Moore also made sure to secure the commitment of a veteran quarterback from the transfer portal in Mikey Keene.

With Underwood and Keene now in the fold, Michigan has already addressed its biggest issue from the 2024 season. There's still some question marks with guys like Davis Warren and Jadyn Davis, and whether or not they'll opt to stay and compete in Ann Arbor. But regardless of those decisions, Michigan's quarterback room in 2025 will not have the same issues it had in 2024.

Speaking about the quarterback situation ahead of the ReliaQuest Bowl down in Tampa, Warren shared his initial impressions of both Underwood and Keene.

"He's been great," Warren said when asked about Underwood. "He wants to learn, he wants to get better. Obviously the college game is different and you've got to adjust, and there's a lot of things you've got to do differently. I learned that coming in... me and JJ [McCarthy] working through a lot of those things together, and I know Bryce is going to have to do the same. But he's coming out with the right mindset, the right mentality, and just really is excited to be in here every day. He has a passion about getting better at football. So that's the biggest thing I've seen out of him, and going to keep doing that. He's a great addition."

When asked about Keene, Warren seemed to suggest he was excited to compete with the veteran - potentially signaling that he intends to finish out his career at Michigan.

"Yeah, I think just more experience, more competition," Warren said. "That's what you want. Coach Moore wants to build the best team and the best room, and quarterbacks... we're the tip of the spear. So, you know, I'm used to the competition, I'm ready to compete. I got to talk to Mikey [Keene] when he was up here on his visit, and, you know, I hadn't seen him since the Fresno State game. So a lot has changed since then for all of us. But he seems like a great dude, and I'm excited to have him."

- Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI -

More Michigan News:

Jadyn Davis on competition with 5-star QB Bryce Underwood: 'I've never been scared to compete'

Davis Warren's first impression of Bryce Underwood: 'You’re not the No. 1 recruit in the country for no reason'

Sherrone Moore's message to Davis Warren after signing Bryce Underwood, looking for portal QB

For additional coverage of University of Michigan athletics:

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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