Sherrone Moore says Michigan is 'close' to naming the starting quarterback

Trent Knoop | Aug 26, 2024

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore watches a play during the second half of the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 20, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

When Sherrone Moore was scheduled to meet with the media on Monday, some people thought the first-year Michigan head coach would reveal who would start at quarterback against Fresno State. The Wolverines do play their first game of the season in just five days, against a team who has won nine or more games in the past three years, but it appears Michigan is still doing its due diligence when it comes to finding the starting quarterback.

It's currently a two-man race between Alex Orji and Davis Warren. Mostly everyone believed Orji would start for the Wolverines, but the former walk-on turned scholarship quarterback has made the race very interesting over the past few weeks.

“We’re close,” Moore said of when he's going to announce the starting quarterback. “We’ll figure that out soon, though. We’re in a good place. “We’ll just see who practices better these next couple days, and then we’ll make a decision — whether it’s Friday, whether it’s right before the game. We’ll let them know, then everybody else will find out at the same time.”

There has been speculation that Michigan could turn to a two-quarterback system in 2024. The Wolverines face Texas in Week 2 and Michigan could want to make the Longhorns prepare for both quarterbacks. Coach Moore told the media on Monday that he's seen the two-quarterback system flourish, but he's also seen it not work.

“I’ve been a part of it. I’ve been a part of it here,” Moore said. “I’ve seen it work. I’ve seen it not work. We’re just going to do whatever it takes to win. I don’t think there’s really a ‘yes’ or no’ or what’s better, what’s not.

“You go back to the years of  Chris Leak and Tim Tebow [at Florida] — it worked pretty well for them. There are teams that have done it and it hasn’t gone well, so we’ll just figure out what our best formula is to win.”

Oct 21, 2023; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Alex Orji (10) runs around the end, pursued by Michigan State Spartans defensive lineman Jalen Thompson (55) in the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-USA TODAY Sports / Dale Young-USA TODAY Sports

Orji, the betting favorite, has played the past couple of seasons and was especially used last season in a running role. The redshirt sophomore has just one career pass for the Wolverines, but he's been utilized plenty using his legs. Warren, on the other hand, has attempted 15 passes in two seasons of action. He was 0-for-5 last year, but overall, Warren is 5-of-14 for 89 yards and one interception.

Moore noted on Monday that the offense doesn't overly change with who's behind center. Each quarterback has something they do well at, but it's not like either can't throw or run the football if needed. While Orji may excel at running and Warren might be the more polished passer, Michigan feels good about either leading the offense going forward.

“I think you just have to figure out what their strengths are, which we’ve done in camp,” said Moore. “There’s a menu of stuff that we can do with each guy, and it’s not like both of them can’t throw and both of them can’t run. We just do it differently with each guy in the game. I feel like we have a really good menu of plays, and both of them can execute the offense fully. It’s just about figuring out who’s gonna do that consistently over these next couple of days.

“There are just things you can do with each guy that you can change and manipulate. But it’s not super different. We’re still going to be who we are and play our football.”

Michigan will take the field on Saturday against Fresno State. The game will air on 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

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