Michigan Football Position Breakdown: Quarterback
For our Position Breakdown series, we are going to take a look at each position group for Michigan Football with spring practices nearing a close.
How does the current depth chart shake out?
What are the storylines or things you should be watching heading into the summer and eventually of course the season?
What's the X factor, whether it's a player, coach, or situation that could change the way the group looks?
Let's talk signal callers.
DEPTH CHART
| STATUS | PLAYER |
|---|---|
|
STARTER |
JJ MCCARTHY |
|
BACKUP |
DAVIS WARREN OR JACK TUTTLE |
|
DEPTH |
ALEX ORJI, JAYDEN DENEGAL, KENDRICK BELL |
WHAT'S THE STORY?
No quarterback battle this season, as JJ McCarthy is the clear captain leading this ship. McCarthy had a stellar first campaign leading the Wolverines, throwing for 2,719 yards 22 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions. McCarthy spent the last offseason rehabbing a shoulder injury up to fall camp. Currently healthy, many expect the extra time this year will help catapult McCarthy to the top tier of quarterbacks in the nation.
While it is true there is no battle at the top, Michigan is still deciding who will back up McCarthy. The leading candidates are former walk-on Davis Warren and Indiana transfer Jack Tuttle. Each is a former top high school QB who faced their own adversity in their journey to Michigan. The battle for backup this year is interesting because the leader could be in a battle for starting QB next spring.
X FACTOR
This one is easy, Alex Orji.
Orji is a monster athlete, at 6'3" 235lbs, and we got to see what he can do running the ball last season. While we haven't seen a lot of passes from Orji amidst calls for him to change positions, he is currently competing for the backup job with Warren and Tuttle. Will Michigan feature a special wildcat-like package for Orji, will he continue to play and develop as a QB, could we see a move to H-Back that allows Orji to be a factor as soon as this season?
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