Michigan Wolverines are moving on to the next era QB to replace J.J. McCarthy

After J.J. McCarthy’s excellent college career, the Michigan Wolverines are moving on to the next generation of quarterbacks.

It’s unknown who that could be, but Jayden Denegal, Jack Tuttle, and Jadyn Davis are all likely candidates. However, junior Alex Orji, who has had a fascinating career and trip thus far, could be ahead of the others.

Orji came to Ann Arbor as a three-star recruit and the 28th-ranked quarterback in his class, according to the 247Sports composite. He ran for 39 touchdowns and over 2,000 yards in his junior and senior years, catching the attention of several teams across the country.

If he could improve his passing ability, Orji had the potential to be a starting quarterback. But he was a raw talent in high school in that department, accomplishing 226 of 436 attempts (51.8 percent). He can still make big plays, though, averaging 8.7 yards per attempt, 16.0 yards per completion, and 7.1 yards per carry (excluding sacks) in 11 games as a senior. However, his on-field performance initially earned rave reviews.

“He plays at the highest level of football in Texas and has ran for 1,200 yards… 1,200 yards? “That is way, way up there for a quarterback,” Jim Harbaugh stated in December 2021. “And don’t get the thought in your head that he can’t throw the ball.”

Orji stood 6-foot-2 and weighed 226 pounds as a true freshman. His athleticism and quickness shone out right away, and he quickly earned playing time, scoring rushing touchdowns in each of his first two games.

Orji continued to improve, and Harbaugh continued to laud him, stating he was “like looking at Herschel Walker playing quarterback, who can really throw the ball.” In fact, Orji is bigger than Walker, who stood 6-foot-1 and weighed 225 pounds. Orji weighed 235 pounds and stood 6-foot-3 entering his sophomore season.

In the spring game, Orji finished 4-for-6 throwing for 47 yards and one touchdown, including this excellent toss to wide receiver Frederick Moore.

Alex Orji finds Frederick Moore deep for 41 yards. pic.twitter.com/0oFfmQmvJm

— Trevor Woods (@WoodsFootball) April 3, 2023

In six games in 2023, Orji rushed 15 times for 86 yards. These aren’t the most impressive figures, but they were created expressly for him in the most critical games of the year: Ohio State, Iowa in the Big Ten Championship, Alabama in the Rose Bowl, and Washington in the National Championship.

Michigan running Jet Bash counter with sophomore QB Alex Orji (6-3, 236 👀) vs. Ohio State.

Michigan did this a lot back when J.J. McCarthy used to spell Cade McNamara. Bet you see it in the B1G title game. Ohio State used to kill Michigan w/ different bashes in the day. pic.twitter.com/DVcFnSXakZ

— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) November 26, 2023

The fact that Orji was put in these critical championship-deciding moments shows that the coaching staff believes in him. Although he did not throw a pass this season, the Wolverines attempted to persuade him to do so in the Rose Bowl, but the play did not go as planned.

Comparing Orji to other films is challenging due to the scarcity of available material. However, he played a significant part in preparing for an opposing signal caller in the College Football Playoff.

“(Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe) is like a really polished Alex Orji,” Harbaugh remarked ahead of the Rose Bowl. “I do” (imagine Orji as Michigan’s own Jalen Milroe). I mean, we are witnessing it right now with Alex Orji. And it terrifies me that Jalen Milroe could be as athletic as Alex Orji. Alex is like the scariest, most athletic guy on our team, you know? Okay, that’s a little scary. We are delighted to let Alex loose. I believe he will be right in the (starting quarterback) battle next year, depending on how J.J. (McCarthy) performs. It’s enjoyable to think about.”

Kirk Campbell, Michigan’s new offensive coordinator, had similar comments during Rose Bowl week.

“The other day in practice, he was doing scout team, had pressure in his face and then, off his back foot, threw the ball 68 yards in the air,'” Campbell told the journalists during the press conference. “You are like, ‘Holy cow.’ That is his arm talent. We have all these opportunity scrimmages, so he’s able to employ a stiff arm and explode through the hole. Then in the Ohio State game, he breaks off a 20-yard run. That thing speaks for itself, and fans will notice it when he gets a chance to perform. “He is a so-called freak.”

All of this hype could finally come true, but Orji still has a lot to show. So far in college, he has thrown one pass and played only a few snaps. He is certainly a weapon on the ground, but he must demonstrate this spring that he is more than just an athlete who runs with the ball.