Michigan is no stranger to an August and September quarterback battle. In 2022, the program didn't fully settle on its QB1 until Week 3 while J.J. McCarthy and Cade McNamara competed for the starting job, alternating starts.
But the Wolverines' 2024 quarterback battle is different.
Redshirt sophomore Alex Orji, the team's presumed starter, hasn't fully separated from his surprising competition: Former walk-on QB Davis Warren.
It'd be wrong to term Orji as anything but the heavy favorite -- 247Sports' Matt Zenitz, went more in-depth on the competition here -- but it's worth considering how Michigan got here in the first place.
Where Michigan's QB battle currently stands
The Wolverines are the reigning national champions, recruit at an elite level and presumably have their pick of QBs in the transfer portal era. How did they end up in a situation where their starting quarterback job is undecided five days before kickoff?
It's a combination of factors, ranging from Jim Harbaugh's late NFL decision to injuries and Orji's development curve.
There's been a real belief in Orji throughout the Michigan program this offseason. But some fall camp hiccups and have left the door open. Though Orji has had very strong moments, there have been bouts of inconsistency -- and here's where we mention that Orji has one career passing attempt!
Still, Michigan believes in what Orji can be. His improvement in the winter and spring is a reason they didn't pursue a transfer quarterback. Orji showed real flashes at that point on the calendar and emerged as a real leader in the locker room.
He also gives Michigan's offense an interesting wrinkle with his athletic ability. Orji, who ranked as Bruce Feldman's No. 13 freak on his 2024 list, has posted a 41-inch vertical, 4.06-second short shuttle and elite strength for his size. That skill set gives Michigan immense flexibility offensively, especially when it comes to the QB run and option looks.
But Orji, who ranked as the No. 50 QB prospect in the 2022 class, always was viewed as more of a developmental project with big upside. Some of those processing and turnover issues in camp have kept the competition alive longer than many would have expected.
Why Michigan was in holding pattern during winter portal window
Were Michigan to have gone in another direction at quarterback, it made the most sense for the program to do so in the winter. The spring transfer portal window featured few starting-caliber quarterbacks whereas four of the preseason AP Top 10 teams will start a transfer quarterback signed during the winter window.
The only problem with that for Michigan? Harbaugh's flirtation with the NFL. It was hard for Michigan to recruit in general at that time because of the lack of clarity around the program and by the time Harbaugh left for the Chargers Jan. 24, almost every difference-making QB was off the board. Michigan may have explored winter options had the circumstances been different, but there wasn't really ever an opportunity to do so given the uncertainty atop the program
Thus, Michigan had what it had in the room entering the spring.
Who's pushing Alex Orji?
As for the quarterbacks contending with Orji, it hasn't helped that injuries have limited veteran Jack Tuttle. And while 2024 signee Jadyn Davis -- the cycle's No. 115 overall prospect -- entered with a lot of hype, he's just a true freshman.
That brings the conversation to Warren, a longtime program passer who has greatly impressed the coaching staff with his ability to push the ball downfield. Warren may be a former walk-on, but he's viewed as a legitimate option in the building with a very different skillset from Orji.
(You can read more about Warren's impressive career path here.)
So, yes, Michigan's QB competition is currently a battle between Orji and a former walk-on. There's a belief in both, but unusual circumstances have certainly dictated that Michigan's 2024 quarterback room be made up in this way.
