Michigan will name starting quarterback when it feels like it ‘got the guy’
INDIANAPOLIS − Just because the Michigan has become familiar with Indianapolis doesn’t mean it’s become bored with it.
On the contrary, the hope for the Wolverines 135 days from Thursday − when first-year coach Sherrone Moore, running back Donovan Edwards, fullback Max Bredeson and safety Makari Paige held court at Big Ten Media Days − is that they’ll be back on the same field to compete for a fourth consecutive Big Ten championship.
‘For the University of Michigan, our football program, our players, our coaches, our staff, what an unbelievable job our Team 144 did,’ Moore began Thursday. ‘But we’re ready for Team 145 to take the reigns. We’re excited to be here at Lucas Oil Stadium, a place we look forward to try to strive to end the regular season here.
‘Humbly, been blessed to be able to be here the past couple of years, look forward to working our process to continue to do the same.’
While there is admittedly quite a bit that’s changed for the reigning national champions, Moore was more intently focused on what’s been able to remain in place.
‘Making sure our culture, that our alignment stays the same,’ Moore said of his primary focus since he shifted from offensive line coach and offensive coordinator to the head job in January. ‘Our players have done an outstanding job of keeping the culture, keeping the togetherness, the brotherhood, so really it’s a testament to them.’
Even with three banners all with block M’s on them representing Michigan’s recent run of dominance, prognosticators don’t seem to believe the run will continue. The Wolverines were picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten in a preseason media poll behind rival Ohio State, newcomer Oregon and longtime nemesis Penn State.
There are some who could see it as a bit insulting; the Wolverines haven’t lost to the Buckeyes since 2019 or to Penn State since 2020, however those on hand representing the Maize and Blue kept their reactions even-keel.
‘That’s fine,’ Edwards said. ‘You know, people always put stuff to paper, but ultimately it’s nothing we haven’t been through at all at Michigan. Ultimately, we’re going to do whatever it takes to win every single game this year.’
When will Michigan name its starting quarterback?
Though there are a number of unknowns on the roster, there is a glaring question that stands out above the rest. Who will be the starting quarterback when Michigan opens the season against Fresno State under the lights on Aug. 31?
The three leading candidates heading into fall camp are junior Alex Orji, graduate student Jack Tuttle and senior Davis Warren.
‘They all have the attributes you need to be a successful starting quarterback at the University of Michigan,’ Moore said. ‘The No. 1 thing we’re looking for out of any guy that’s our quarterback is they’re a playmaker; they make plays, they’ll make the right decision, they’ll take care of the football and they want to win.’
Each player brings something unique to the table. The most tantalizing option seems to be Orji, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound dual threat athlete. He’s run the ball 21 times in his career for 123 yards and three touchdowns, however, he’s only been entrusted with throwing one pass (a five-yard completion).
Then there’s Tuttle, who was the No. 2 last year prior to injury. He’s thrown 199 career passes at both Indiana and Michigan, which included a nice campaign in spot duty last year, when he completed 15 of 17 passes for 130 yards and a score and ran four times for another 35 yards.
As for Warren, he didn’t complete a pass last year (0 for 5), but threw the most consistent ball of the spring game and showed nice precision on his deep passes. All three will get a chance to run with the starters at some point in the fall, as they did in the spring, but don’t expect Moore to make a decision before the season starts just because it’s here.
After all, his predecessor (Jim Harbaugh) took a quarterback competition into the season in 2022, and that worked out just fine when J.J. McCarthy ultimately beat out Cade McNamara.
‘The ideal timeline is when we feel like we’ve got the guy who will help us win,’ Moore said. ‘There’s not a date, not a time. We will have a feel as a staff … Kirk Campbell is a phenomenal coach … he will make a great decision and we will be there to make it together.’
Game recognize game
The Wolverines became just the fourth team to go 15-0 in a single season in college football history, joining an illustrious list that consists of Georgia, Alabama and Clemson.
Michigan is the king of the sport until proven otherwise and Thursday, Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck made sure he gave the Wolverines their flowers. Fleck has spent the past seven years in Minneapolis, doing all he can to turn the Gophers into a consistent winner.
He and athletic director Mark Coyle combine to make up the longest tenured duo at the two positions in the conference, something Fleck said he takes great pride in. During his tenure, the landscape of college football has changed greatly, but Fleck has always tried to stay consistent.
‘We’re a transformational program, academically, athletically, spiritually, socially, spiritually, the whole life program. Our world has changed in this transactional world, with NIL, with the portal, with salary caps,’ Fleck said. ‘We believe in the transactional piece as a piece that allows our student-athletes to benefit, but you still get this transformational life program.’
It’s the balance that every major college program is trying to find and Fleck said he believes it’s exactly what happened last year in Ann Arbor. Fleck said last year’s Michigan squad is evidence that programs don’t have to buy their way to a winning team; rather it’s about find the right pieces which fit them.
‘I think Michigan proved this last year − team, team team,’ Fleck said. ‘If you build the best team, you’ve got a chance to win. It’s one thing to have the transaction, but you have to transform them.’