Michigan quarterback Alex Orji met with a handful of media members during a NIL event with Champions Circle and Wolverine Boots. Here is everything he had to say during his time with the media.
On whether he's done the read option as himself on College Football 25
Yeah. Yeah, it's pretty fun just being able to play with the guys, getting reps with everybody. I was talking with Fred this morning about it, you throw one touchdown to T-Mo and you take him out and let the next guy get in. Been fun to let everybody get reps and kind of spread it around and just realize we're really in the game. It's awesome to see that come to a reality.
On whether the game has been a team-building experience
I think any game the guys all want to play is fun for everybody. I think even guys who maybe didn't play Madden or play any games at all, going to get a new console and downloading it. We're all hanging out. It's been good, kind of bringing us together a little bit more.
On how his summer has been
It's been awesome, I think, overall. Something that's been helping me the past six or seven months has been taking everything one day at a time. Anytime if I'm asked whether I'm ready for the season or ready for week two or the playoffs or anything like that, I can't tell you that I am right now because I've got a lot of changes to make and a lot of improvement and development to do. I think that I'm ready for today, I'm ready to prepare myself for tomorrow and if I keep doing that I'll be ready for fall camp when it comes. I think that it's awesome the way the summer has been going with Coach Tress taking over since the winter, it's been good to have him to guide us through the summer. I think it's been a huge summer for a lot of guys development-wise. It's been really good to be around the guys and spend a lot of time with them.
On who has developed the most this summer
I think as a quarterback room, we've all developed a ton. Just building off each other. I'll say, individually, getting Amorion Walker back and seeing him get more comfortable with getting back at receiver and the ball coming at him, him getting really acclimated to playing receiver at a high level which I think he's going to do, he's very capable of. I think Deakon Tonielli has been a good guy to see, jus the way he's getting a lot more serious about his craft and locking into the details and stuff that he's doing. As far as the defense, I think Jaishawn, he's already a high-level guy going into the summer, going into the spring. A guy that if you're an opposing quarterback you're probably scared of just looking at him and seeing him play is even worse. Just seeing those guys and seeing them take care of their business, along with the new guys like Wesley, Jaden Mangham and Ricky, it's been good to see guys who are more just — they played college ball but are new to Michigan, to see them acclimated to the Maize & Blue.
On the dynamic on offense being a new group
I think it's awesome because we have an opportunity for a lot of guys to step up. I think it's great that we're able to go into camp knowing we have so much space to improve. Some of these spots where guys can step up and new leadership roles for a ton of people. I think the dynamic when there's already a set starter at a certain position, the guys that are behind them are less inclined to lead or to speak up at certain times. It's been awesome to hear a lot of different voices, get encouragement from different guys, older guys and younger guys alike, I think it's awesome. As far as Donovan and Colston, they've done a great job of bringing everybody along and letting us know what type offense we can be. I think guys like Tyler Morris in the receiver room, Myles Hinton in the O-line room and Max Bredeson, just overall, for the identity of the offense. Guys that know what it takes to win at a high level and showing us the ropes. Putting us in the drivers seat and realizing that it's our turn.
On what his day-to-day looks like as a QB in the offseason
I think, right now, during the summer, we get our team skills workouts twice a week. Tuesdays and Saturdays for right now. Me, Dave, Tuttle, Jayden and Jadyn will find times to get on the field. Whenever it is, sometimes it'll be one of us and a few receivers. Whenever we can we will try to get together. Work around our lift times. Normally, Mondays and Thursdays are the best times for us to get on the field. Get balls in the air and build those relationships with the receivers and stuff like that. Not really any count. I think we've been really smart about how much we've been throwing. I think it's been good to have a guy like Davis around who knows so much about throwing and doing it at a high level and also shoulder care. He's able to give us little tricks and tidbits about how to take care of our wings. I think just in general, when we wrap up throwing, if we feel good about the day, we feel good about the day. Every once in a while there's going to be a certain throw you feel like you missed and you wanted to get a little extra. Overall, it's not really any count or anything. Whenever the receivers feel good and we feel good, we'll wrap it up.
On where he's made strides in his game this offseason
I would say comfortability with my mechanics, kind of building that muscle memory as well as comfortability with raising my voice sometimes, being that leader that all of us quarterbacks are. It's been awesome to kind of see how the guys rally around us knowing how a guy like Dave has been here the longest of anyone in the room, how he's able to — a lot of guys have seen what he's been through with the program and the way he conducts his business, you don't really have to doubt what he's saying. You never really think twice about what he's saying, you know what he's about. Been good for all of us to kind of step into those leadership roles that comes with being a quarterback. I think, for me, being a vocal leader, comfortability with my mechanics and also seeing defenses. I think it's awesome to be able to go against the best defense in the country every day, there's really nothing like it. Can't take it for granted. It's been good to feel that out. Also, not wearing pads in the summer, it's good to not have to worry about Mason and KG every day.
On what he needs to do in the next few weeks to get comfortable for the Texas game
I couldn't tell you what I need to do in order to be ready for something so far in the future, I think that if I keep preparing myself and getting ready for tomorrow, eventually that day is going to be tomorrow. I think listening to what Coach Moore has for us, especially what Coach Campbell says, the offense goes when the O-line goes, offense goes as he calls it. I think just taking those things and not trying to do too much or do too little. Finding the sweet spot of working smarter and harder. If I was ready for Texas right now then there would be no more work to be done. I think between now and then, now and the beginning of camp, now and Friday, there's always going to be a lot to get done. I think whenever you take it one day at a time, that's when you do your best work.
On knowing he has a role in the offense takes pressure off him
I wouldn't say it takes pressure off me because, at the end of the day, there's going to be a certain level of play expected from anyone that's holding the football wearing the winged helmet. It's super important to take pride in that, to take pride in the fact that any time a coach puts you on the field, especially on the offense where you're protecting the football, especially in the type of offense that we have, I think it's super important to respect that decision the coach made and really take advantage of it. Respect the game of football, pay your dues with hard work and the dedication that you put in. For me, it's super important even last year with the few times that I came on the field, taking a top-10 pick out of the game and putting me in there to take snaps, can't take stuff like that for granted. It's really awesome to have perspective on knowing where we are, knowing the opportunity that we have to play for the University of Michigan. I try to preach it to the guys all the time, anyone that has a chance to play, even has a chance to practice for the University of Michigan, you gotta take advantage of that every day.
On what Jack Tuttle brings to the QB room
Tuttle brings obviously experience just having started games, the only guy in the room that has started a game at the college level. A guy that's thrown a ton of passes just in his life. Also, I don't know if a lot of people really know Jack Tuttle, he's a super fun guy to be around. No matter how serious the rest of us get, he's always going to be light-hearted. Also, locked into the details. For me, something I told a few other guys, I really appreciate from being around him is just the way that he practices, the way he trains. Whenever I'm in any type of throwing setting or throwing session with him, everything he does, I'm not going to say it's at 100 miles and hour but it's always where it needs to be. It's at a game speed. He's never taking a rep off. We talk about Jack Tuttle as a guy who spin the crap out of the football. He's a guy who has an amazing arm and knows what to do with it. It's awesome to see a guy like that know when to rip it or know when to take a little off. Seeing the different stuff like that from him and knowing that every rep he does is a game rep is something that is invaluable to see.
On whether there's an incoming transfer that has caught his eye
If we can count Amorion, I would say that he caught my eye. Even if he didn't leave, it's hard for a guy like him not to. Just the things he's able to do with his body, his frame and with his talent and capabilities. He's a guy that you just put the ball in his hands and you let him do whatever you want on the football field, he's a guy who is going to make things happen. C.J. has been a really interesting guy to be around. He doesn't say a lot, he's one of the quieter guys but the things he's able to do from the slot, the outside, ball in hand type of guy is ridiculous. The amount of shift that he has and quickness and the agility is really up there. It's like guys like Semaj and Tyler Morris are able to make a move in a phonebooth and is super quick and interesting to look at. Defensive guys right now, we're trying to throw as many touchdowns on them as possible. Wesley is not making it easy at all. Ricky is one of those guys that he's just super quick and light on his feet. Even in a training setting, he does a lot of good stuff as far as agility and speed that I don't really know that he notices it or realizes, it's at an extremely high level for any guy at all.
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