Michigan's Multiple-Choice QB Question: Warren, Orji, Tuttle, Denegal or Davis?

Three interceptions by Davis in Saturday's win over Arkansas State caused Moore to turn to Orji. Who starts Saturday against USC?

Photos Courtesy of University of Michigan Photography

Wolverine quarterback Alex Orji carried three times for 27 yards and threw a 9-yard touchdown pass after replacing Davis Warren.

By Steve Kornacki

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Steve Smith was the first Michigan quarterback I covered as a beat writer in 1983. He threw for big yards and ran for big yards. He was the classic option QB of the Bo Schembechler era, cut from the same cloth as the best of those – All-American Rick Leach.

Jim Harbaugh, Michael Taylor, Demetrius Brown and Elvis Grbac all ran the option, too. However, when Gary Moeller replaced Bo in 1990, the option was out and the pro-style attack began with future NFL quarterbacks Grbac and Todd Collins.

I couldn’t help but think of those run-first offenses when Alex Orji came in to replace Davis Warren late in the third quarter of Saturday’s 28-18 win over Arkansas State. Warren had thrown three interceptions, and the No. 17-ranked Wolverines couldn’t afford another one of those – even with a 21-3 lead.

Orji ran a play fake out of the shotgun formation on the third-and-four play needed to continue his first drive. He kept the pigskin and rolled right to open ground before carrying tacklers on a 13-yard gain.

Two plays later, he pitched the ball left to tailback Kalel Mullings, who rambled for 38 yards.

Orji made his first pass on the ninth and final play of the drive. He faked an end-around handoff going left before rolling right, avoiding a defender, and throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hogan Hansen.

Bo must have been smiling up there.

This was his kind of football – with many option attack features even though operating from the shotgun formation.

Now, the Wolverines are not returning to a full option offense, but there will be elements when Orji is in there. I asked the tailbacks who combined to run for 235 yards about the option feature with Orji.

“I mean, a lot of times in the run game, the quarterback can pull it,” said Mullings, who ran for a game-high 153 yards on 15 carries. “It’s really just the look that the defense is giving – more reactionary rather than pre-planned, if that makes sense.”

Donovan Edwards, who started at tailback and had 82 yards rushing on 17 carries, noted that he didn’t play with Orji in this game before saying, “I think that’s kind of a question for the coaches. We’re behind whoever’s been in the quarterback position because we know how hard they work. Everybody works so hard. So, it’s a healthy dynamic we have among the team with multiple guys – Dave, Orj, D [Jayden Denegal] and [true freshman] Jadyn Davis. They can all do very much similar things. So, it’s a very good thing to have on our team.”

Edwards didn’t pick up the blitz on the first interception, and said, “I own up. I messed up on his first pick and I let him know multiple times.”

It was admirable to accept the blame, but Warren knows better than to attempt a pass with the protection caving in so quickly and dramatically. Warren’s arm was hit on the second pickoff – which was caught by a linebacker with nobody close to him. However, the third also reflected an error in judgment and Moore had seen enough for this day.

“You can’t have ‘em,” Moore said of the interceptions. “He puts the ball in harm’s way too many times. So, I made a change, and we’ll continue practicing. We’ll go from there.”

Davis Warren did complete 11 of 14 passes, but three interceptions ended his afternoon against Arkansas State. Guard Giovanni El-Hadi (No. 58 left) and center Dominick Giudice (No. 56 right) provided the pass protection here.

Moore wouldn’t be pinned down on who starts Saturday, when No. 11 USC visits for the Big Ten opener, but later added, “We can’t have those turnovers. We take care of the football, we win.”

So, what happens next will be interesting to see.

Warren’s interceptions were bad. The worst one came when he insisted on throwing the ball to the left sideline with two defenders both inches away from sacking him. He was under pressure and under threw the ball – giving the Red Wolves possession at the Michigan 15-yard line after a 30-yard return.

But remember that, nearly one year ago to the day, future NFL first-round pick J.J. McCarthy threw three interceptions against Bowling Green. This isn’t the end of the line for Warren, but it’s also hardly his job at this point.

Especially with graduate student Jack Tuttle, 25, who was a decent starter at Indiana before transferring here, so close to getting back on the field after his injury. He was elected captain before injuries cut short his senior season in 2022, and ended up completing 113-of-194 (.580) for 983 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions for the Hoosiers.

Those aren’t great stats, but he was the No. 5-rated pro-style quarterback at San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills High before signing with Utah. He headed to Indiana after his freshman season.

“We’ll see,” Moore said of Tuttle’s playing status. “It’s all up to doctors to figure that one out.”

Here are the numbers for both of Saturday’s quarterbacks:

Warren completed 11-of-14 for 122 yards, and had a beautiful 33-yarder he dropped in to tight end Marlin Klein for 33 yards. But he had zero touchdowns, those three picks, and four runs for six yards. Warren has six interceptions to only two touchdowns in three games.

Orji completed 2-of-4 for 12 yards with that one TD and zero interceptions. He also ran three times for 27 yards, and now has two touchdown passes with no pickoffs in six attempts.

Both of Orji’s TD passes have been short throws on roll-outs, but he does have plenty of arm. He had Fredrick Moore wide open but threw the ball about 60 yards rather than the 50 or so needed for completion.

Asked to assess Orji, Moore said, “I mean he played well. Had the over-throw. But I wanted him to just let it rip and have some confidence.”

Orji has a truly powerful arm, and there’s a video on Twitter of him uncorking a ball for Sachse (Tex.) High thrown on the run and across his body that traveled 60 yards in the air, hitting his receiver in stride for a touchdown.

It’s a mind-blower play.

So, the talent is in there. Now, can Orji harness that arm to get results?

Can Davis learn how to avoid costly interceptions?

Can Tuttle, Davis or Denegal end up being the answer at quarterback?

That’s the multiple-choice question facing Moore and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell.

They need to get it right.

And Michigan fans need to hope the answer to that question isn’t “none of the above.”