247Sports' Josh Pate Talks Alex Orji, Michigan's Potential

With defense and the run game set as centerpieces, Michigan's potential will be determined largely by quarterback play in 2024...

Matt Lounsberry | Jul 3, 2024

Michigan Wolverines quarterback Alex Orji (10) gets set to run a play in the second half against the Colorado State Rams at Michigan Stadium; Sep 3, 2022; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

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Michigan is riding high off of last year's national championship-winning season. However, there are more questions surrounding the program heading into 2024 than in recent years, none bigger than the level of quarterback play the Wolverines will get this fall.

As part of his series on big "what if's" heading into the 2024 college football season, 247Sports' podcast host Josh Pate pondered what happens if the Wolverines are better-than-expected at the game's most important position.

"What if Michigan gets high level quarterback play this year," Pate asked. "If you answer, 'Yes'. If you affirmatively answer just that, 'Will they have high level quarterback play?' 'Yes, Alex Orji will be a high level quarterback this year' — they could win the national championship again. That's the short answer."

Pate went on to say the Wolverines could win a fourth consecutive Big Ten championship to earn the conference's automatic berth into the new, 12-team College Football Playoff. That said, even if Michigan failed to do so, Pate believes the Wolverines would be a "slam dunk" to earn an at-large bid into the playoff field if they get excellent play from its quarterback.

Pate noted 'high-level quarterback play' looks different at Michigan than it does at most other college football programs in the modern age. Former starter J.J. McCarthy threw for 2,991 yards while completing 72.3 percent of his pass attempts, with 19 touchdowns and four interceptions while leading the Wolverines to a national title a year ago. Outside of McCarthy's completion percentage, those are modest numbers compared to the likes of recent national title winners Stetson Bennett, Mac Jones, Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence.

"J.J. McCarthy had kind of a strange-looking stat line as it relates to national title-winning quarterbacks," Pate said. "Those numbers, certainly, would be more than good enough [for Michigan's next quarterback.]"

Orji is expected to be a factor in Michigan's run game this fall, and could play an even larger role in that department than McCarthy did a season ago. However, if Orji can match McCarthy's production through the air, the Wolverines become one of the most dangerous teams in the country in Pate's eyes.

"Defense is going to take care of itself up there. Their run game will be there. Those elements are not going anywhere. Those, to me, are now staples of Michigan football," Pate said. "If they were to get that, if it's almost a cherry on top that you were to say, 'Wow, quarterback play, way better than we thought it would be this year.' If they've got that, they've got a shot to win it all again."

Pate acknowledged that Michigan getting high-level quarterback play with a first-year starter in 2024 is "a gigantic if". The general college football public doesn't expect Michigan to get quarterback play at the level McCarthy provided last year. The two-year starter has special arm talent, was a tremendous and unselfish leader, and took care of the football in the most crucial of moments for the Wolverines a year ago.

"If that were to happen somehow, some way, I think the reigning national champs could take the nation by surprise," Pate said. "But, Michigan right now has got the fourth-best odds to win the Big Ten and they're going to be right in the mix."

The full segment of 'Late Kick w/ Josh Pate' referenced in this article can be viewed in the video below, starting at the 7:35 mark.

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