Sherrone Moore's response on why he didn't get a quarterback from the portal

Chris Breiler | 5 Hours Ago

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Michigan Wolverines

Through seven weeks, it's been one of the biggest questions surrounding the Michigan Football program: why didn't head coach Sherrone Moore go after a quarterback in the portal? On Monday, Moore was asked that question specifically. Here's how he responded:

"There's a lot of factors and things we could talk about," Moore said. "Right now, we're focused on today and everything we can do to win."

Sherrone Moore asked why Michigan did not hit the portal for a QB: “There’s a lot of factors and things we could talk about. Right now, we’re focused on today and everything we can do to win.”
— Anthony Broome (@anthonytbroome) October 21, 2024

In other words, Moore has zero interest in discussing what could have been done during the off season. Instead, he says he's focused squarely on the task at hand - which is finding a way to beat the Michigan State Spartans this weekend. With Moore refusing to answer the question, we're only left to speculate on what exactly went into his decision making process with the quarterbacks heading into 2024.

For starters, I think it's a pretty safe assumption that Moore and his staff did look in the portal and likely reached out to some potential targets. But reaching out and closing the deal are two very different things, and Moore can't force anyone to come who truly doesn't want to be in Ann Arbor. Many fans seem to have watered the process down to this: want quarterback, get quarterback. That's not exactly how it works, particularly with an offense that isn't necessarily known for being quarterback friendly. Add in the poor timing with Harbaugh's departure, along with a staff in limbo and a lingering NCAA investigation hanging over the program, and it's not that hard to see why Michigan came up empty in securing a portal QB.

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While I believe attempts were made, I think Moore ultimately felt comfortable with the options he had in Ann Arbor - and I think veteran Jack Tuttle played a huge role in that comfort. With a talented freshman like Jadyn Davis on deck, Michigan didn't need a long-term solution at QB this season. Instead, the Wolverines only needed a veteran with steady hand who could guide the offense and avoid making costly mistakes. On the surface, it looked like Tuttle was that guy. He had the more experience than all other quarterbacks on the roster combined, and he seemed fairly effective in limited reps during the 2023 season. Add in a guy like Alex Orji would could serve more of a change-up pitch role as a dual-threat QB, and there were plenty of reasons to believe that formula could work in 2024 the same way it worked in 2021 with Cade McNamara.

Given how everything has played out, it's easy to second-guess those off season decisions now. The Wolverines have made three quarterback changes through seven weeks, and it's likely we could see a fourth quarterback change before Saturday's game against Michigan State. Do you go back to Davis Warren, a guy who had six interceptions through the first three weeks? Do you go back to Alex Orji, a guy who's barely over 50% in completion percentage and never achieved more than 100 yards through the air? Do you stick with seventh-year veteran Jack Tuttle, a guy who's now turned the ball over four times in 1.5 games? Moore will likely spend a good portion of his week asking himself those questions. And regardless of whether or not he deserves any blame for the current options he has at quarterback, the reality is that it's now his job to get the best out of them.

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