Wolverine Digest

Michigan Quarterbacks: One Thing I Like, One Thing I Don't, One Thing To Watch

The Wolverines enter the 2024 season with versatile but unproven options at the game's most important position...

Matt Lounsberry

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.
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
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As the calendar flips to July, excitement begins to build for the 2024 college football season. We are just over three weeks away from Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis and a little over a month from the start of fall camps across the country.

Coming off arguably its best season in program history, Michigan brings another loaded roster into 2024 in the form of “Team 145”. In preparation for the upcoming year, it’s a good time to break down each position group for the Wolverines with “one thing I like”, “one thing I don’t” and “one thing to watch”. Let’s start with the most important position on the field — Quarterback.

One Thing I Like

Michigan has versatility in its options at quarterback in the first year post-J.J. McCarthy. Redshirt sophomore Alex Orji is the favorite to start for the Wolverines in 2024, and the 6-foot-3, 236-pounder brings a combination of size, strength and athleticism that we’ve perhaps never seen before from a Wolverine quarterback. We expect Orji to be a weapon in the Wolverines’ run game and as a scrambler after he rushed for 123 yards on 21 carries with three touchdowns over the past two seasons. 

Meanwhile, graduate senior Jack Tuttle can be viewed as a “safer” option for Michigan. The former transfer from Indiana brings starting experience from his days as a Hoosier and had good numbers in limited action last year backing up McCarthy, completing 15-of-17 pass attempts for 130 yards and a touchdown.

While Michigan’s starter will likely be one of the two guys above, redshirt junior Davis Warren looked great in Michigan’s spring game and provides some depth to the position. The Wolverines also return redshirt sophomore Jayden Denegal and add true freshman and former four-star recruit Jadyn Davis to the roster in 2024.

One Thing I Don’t

As mentioned above, Orji is likely going to be the first quarterback Michigan trots out onto the field in Week 1 against Fresno State. I’m intrigued by the redshirt sophomore, but he’s only officially attempted one pass in his career — a five-yard completion during his true freshman season in 2022.

There’s a level of unknown that comes with Orji. He got off to a slow start in Michigan’s spring game back in April, but finished with a solid stat line of 11-for-17 passing for 95 yards. We also got to see his effectiveness as a scrambler when he ran for an 18-yard touchdown. However, there’s only so much you can take away from a spring game, where quarterbacks are off limits to be hit.

Orji’s physical makeup makes him an exciting prospect. He’s got a big arm and he can run through a lot of defenders. With that said, we’re not sure if he’ll end up looking more like Cam Newton or Joe Milton. Time will tell.

One Thing To Watch

While there’s some uncertainty at the position heading into 2024, Michigan has recruited the quarterback position at a very high level since Kirk Campbell became the QB coach. That starts with Davis, a four-star who was considered the No. 112 overall prospect and No. 9 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class. While the 6-foot, 202-pounder isn’t expected to be a factor in the Wolverines’ QB battle this year, he could be U-M’s quarterback of the future.

Davis will have competition in that endeavor however, after Campbell landed four-star Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot quarterback Carter Smith in the 2025 class. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder has drawn comparisons to McCarthy for his similar build and mental makeup, and there’s a lot of excitement around his potential. Smith is considered the No. 161 overall prospect and No. 14 quarterback in the class of 2025.

Michigan also went down to Florida to grab its class of 2026 quarterback prospect in four-star Cocoa High School signal-caller Brady Hart. The 6-foot-4, 180-pounder is currently the highest-rated of the three guys mentioned in this segment, coming in as the No. 92 overall prospect and No. 7 quarterback in his class. Campbell has done an excellent job setting the Wolverines up for success in future seasons with the way he’s recruited from the high school ranks.

For more coverage of University of Michigan athletics: 

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Matt Lounsberry
MATT LOUNSBERRY

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