Davis Warren calls Alex Orji 'a Michigan man through and through' despite transfer

The Michigan Wolverines struggled to replace first round NFL Draft pick J.J. McCarthy in 2024, with head coach Sherrone Moore turning to multiple other quarterbacks, including Davis Warren and Alex Orji.

In the wake of that difficult season on the offensive side of the ball, Orji made the decision to transfer out of the program. However, even with that move, there are no hard feelings between him and Warren moving forward.

“It’s great,” Davis Warren said during bowl preparation. “He’s a great dude. Michigan Man through and through.”

Michigan is set to take on Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Eve. It’s a game that it seemed like the Wolverines would be shorthanded at quarterback in until Orji decided to remain with the Wolverines through the bowl game despite entering the portal.

“Did everything he could this year to help us and wants to end on the right terms,” Waren said. “So, [I’ve] got a ton of respect for him. Understand why guys would leave, but I also respect his decision to stay and kind of finish it out. I think in this day and age is probably — that gets lost a little bit and I respect him a lot for doing that. So, just great having him around. He’s a great kid. Me and him are really close friends and will be for life. I’m sure of that. He’s been having fun with it like we all have, and getting better too. So, it’s been great.”

Davis Warren has taken over as the starting quarterback at Michigan for the 2024 season and is expected to see the majority of the snaps in the ReliaQuest Bowl. He finished the season with a completion percentage of 63.5 percent for 1,126 yards and six touchdowns to nine interceptions in eight games. However, there is also the chance that Orji sees the field after spending the majority of his time as a rushing threat.

Already, Michigan and Sherrone Moore have been active in rebuilding the quarterback room for next season. That included landing one of the biggest recruits of the Class of 2025 when the Wolverines got Bryce Underwood to flip from LSU to Michigan. He’s not just the top-ranked quarterback but the top-ranked player regardless of position, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

Beyond the incoming freshman class, Michigan also added Mikey Keene from the Transfer Portal, giving the Wolverines an experienced option for 2025 to join the quarterback room.