Michigan’s quarterback competition is in full flow as spring practice begins

As the youngest of three sons, Michigan offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell has an opinion on how a pecking order should be established.

There was no discussion of drawing straws in his family because it was always oldest to youngest.

So that’s how Campbell instructed his quarterbacks at the opening of the Michigan football team’s spring practice on Monday.

“The pecking order for the spring will be ‘Who’s the oldest?'” “And then, if they’re in the same grade, we’ll go alphabetically by last name to see who gets the next rep,” Campbell stated on March 15. “So that’s how we’ll handle it on day one, and then we’ll reevaluate on day two.”

Whatever happened on day one, and whether or not it impacted the pecking order, the truth remains that the Wolverines are in the midst of a key quarterback duel. When two-year starter J.J. McCarthy declared for the NFL draft, he left a major hole in Michigan’s offense, which each of the five quarterbacks remaining in the room is vying to fill.

The oldest player, who most likely took the first rep, is graduate quarterback Jack Tuttle. Tuttle, nicknamed “Uncle Jack,” was granted a seventh year of eligibility after his medical redshirt was cleared, and he brings an experienced viewpoint to the group. Though he is battling through an injury before workouts resume, he shown his ability in a few games last season, and his efforts were not overlooked.

Three other quarterbacks played some snaps last season and expect to return in a bigger role. Junior Alex Orji established himself as a running danger, entering key games against Ohio State, Alabama, and Washington to execute designed runs.

“Alex Orji, obviously a freak athlete,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said on Thursday. “He has the ability to be a game changer with the ball in his hands while rushing the football. He has a distinct personality that sets him apart from the other guys, as we have seen before. But it’s not as if he can’t throw. He can and has thrown good during the spring.”

Moore also praised the passing ability of senior Davis Warren and junior Jayden Denegal. Both came in as reserves in several blowout games at the start of last season and bring a different skill set to Orji’s run-focused agility.

While all four returners have seen limited in-game action, they have extensive expertise with the Wolverines’ system. The only new face is freshman Jadyn Davis, a highly regarded talent. Moore hailed him as a quarterback who “can do a little bit of everything” and whom Michigan is enthusiastic about. Davis may not be the starter in his first year, but he appears to be holding his own against the veterans in the quarterback race.

“They’ve all been competing,” Moore explained. “It’s been really entertaining to watch them all do it. We’ll see what happens, but I love where they’re at right now, their mindset, their competitive drive, and how they’re all going for it. They all complement one other and compete at a high level.”

Moore declined to say whether he would contemplate a two-quarterback system, refusing to rule anything out this early in practice. With each contender’s different skill sets and unknowns, anything could happen — and the Wolverines have no timetable for making a decision.

Even though the quarterbacks started by taking reps from oldest to youngest, the starting job is still up for grabs. It will be up to each contestant to demonstrate why they deserve to be first in the pecking order.