Ahead of last season's Rose Bowl between Michigan and Alabama, Alex Orji emulated Alabama QB Jalen Milroe on the scout team during practices for Michigan.

During a media appearance, head coach Jim Harbaugh called Milroe a "polished Alex Orji." It was a compliment for both players, as Harbaugh also said Orji was Michigan's "most athletic player" and a polished version of him was a "scary thought."

That comparison stuck, and has come up often this offseason. But where do the comps begin and where do they end? What can Michigan learn from Milroe's 2023 season? Can Alex Orji be a polished Alex Orji?

Let's start with the obvious. We have two dual-threat QBs from Texas who are impressive physically. Milroe is 6'2" 220lbs while Orji is 6'3" 236lbs. Both are power runners with the arm talent to be elite quarterbacks, but with the requisite accuracy issues.

As high school recruits, a void. Milroe was a top 3 dual threat QB in the 2021 class, a Rivals150 recruit initially committed ot Texas who later flipped to Alabama. Orji was a 3 star in the 2022 class, the 9th ranked dual threat QB originally committed to Virginia Tech before flipping to Michigan.

While many outsiders anticipated Orji would eventually move to another position like tight end or linebacker, he was recruited to play QB, and he committed to Michigan to play QB. Michigan's offense attracted him, and the coaches saw him as a fit.

If Orji is to win the starting job at Michigan, he will be tasked with replacing J.J. McCarthy. One of the best quarterbacks in Michigan history, and a Champion. At Alabama, Milroe took over for Heisman winner and #1 NFL Draft pick Bryce Young.

A major difference here is that Milroe had seen the field the season prior. His numbers were arguably concerning, a 58% completion rate on 53 throws for 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. There is an unknown with Orji as he has only 1 pass attempt from the 2022 season.

Orji dealt with an injury throughout the start of the 2023 season, but late in big games, Michigan trusted Orji with the ball, as a runner. Orji had 15 rushes for 86 yards and 1 touchdown last season, with crucial carries against Ohio State, Iowa, Alabama, and Washington. But we are talking about Orji being the starting QB, not a gadget player.

In Milroe's first game as a starter against Middle Tennesee State, a breakout. 13/18 for 194 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 48 yards and 2 more touchdowns on the ground. The praise was everywhere. On the horizon is a matchup against the school he originally committed to, Texas.

Many thought Texas would have beaten Alabama in the previous season had Quinn Ewers not suffered an injury early in the game. This year, the matchup was in Tuscaloosa, and the Tide were 7-point favorites.

Milroe went 1-4 on Alabama's first possession with a drive-ending interception. The inconsistency continued throughout the first half, and while Milroe ran the ball well at times, he struggled to throw the ball.

Alabama's first 8 drives went;
INTERCEPTION
FG
PUNT
PUNT
FG
FG
PUNT
PUNT

Yet, late in the third quarter, Alabama took the lead, 16,13, on a 49-yard touchdown pass from Milroe to Jermaine Burton. Then, within 1 minute and 34 seconds, the game turned. Texas scored a quick touchdown, and Jalen Milroe threw an interception on his next play. The ball was returned to the 5-yard line, where Texas ran it in for a touchdown on their first play.

Milroe would add another touchdown, but with the ball late and a chance to get back in the game, Milroe went incomplete, incomplete, sack, giving Texas the victory. 34-24. Milroe finished 14/27 for 255 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He was benched ahead of Alabama's next game for Tyler Buchner.

Now, Milroe's story wasn't close to over. He would get the starting job back the following week against Ole Miss, where he completed 81% of his passes with a touchdown and interception. He would only throw 3 more interceptions for the rest of the season with 17 touchdowns. Milroe would complete less than 60% of his throws only one more time, in a win against Arkansas. He would lead Alabama to an SEC Championship and CFP berth, where they, of course, lost to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

Milroe figured things out. He finished 5th in the nation in pass efficiency and 2nd in the nation in yards per attempt. He was a finalist for countless awards and is considered a Heisman contender this season. He became a player so good that Harbaugh called him a polished Orji.

So, as we head to the 2024 season, with Alex Orji considered the favorite to start at QB, the question is, can Alex Orji be a polished Orji? Can he become that quarterback without the hiccup of a loss to Texas at home like Milroe had? Michigan has Jack Tuttle, last season's backup QB and what some consider the safe option, battling Orji for the starting job. Is he Orji's Buchner if things get tough early?

Pressure. It's all about handling pressure. One of the biggest reasons this staff believes in Orji is that he has shown he can handle the pressure. Yes, not throwing the ball, but Orji took crucial snaps in Michigan's biggest games last season. The coaches took McCarthy off the field and put the ball in Orji's hands. If he is named the starter, he needs to remember that because the pressure will come quickly.

And it won't go away.

The pressure is on this coaching staff as well. Not only must they make the right decision regarding the quarterback position, whether it's Orji, Tuttle, or a two-QB system of sorts, but with Texas in week 2, they will need to be confident in their choice and game plan. They will need to put the quarterback in a position to succeed, assume a mistake will happen, and allow it not to spiral out of control.

If an interception is thrown, the defense must step up. If the defense makes a stand and gives the offense a short field, the offense has to take advantage and score. I'd argue that has been Michigan's exact identity. The balance and ecosystem of all phases. And that is arguably the lesson to be learned.

Stay the course. Believe in what got you there. The lesson Milroe had to learn from the loss to Texas and getting benched worked for him. For Michigan, if it's Alex Orji, winning the job must be the confidence he needs to win that game. The fact this staff never wavered about him being a quarterback, never moved him to another position. Don't beat Texas to prove anything. Win it to validate what this staff and you, Alex Orji, already believe.

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