Michigan quarterback race 'wide open as it could get' heading into fall camp, compares to 2023 Alabama

Michigan hasn’t been sharing much of anything about their ongoing quarterback competition. That has now continued into fall camp in Ann Arbor with it still apparently being as open as ever.

Clayton Sayfie of The Wolverine discussed the quarterback battle for the maize & blue during an appearance on ‘Andy Staples On3’ on Monday. In his opinion, Michigan is nowhere near a decision between the trio of Alex Orji, Davis Warren, or Jack Tuttle yet based on how they’re still approaching it.

“I think it’s so weird to say but I think it’s as wide open as it really could get with three contenders,” said Sayfie. “I think it’s so wide open that Kirk Campbell said before fall camp last week that they were going to divvy up the reps or at least order the reps on day one from oldest to youngest. There are only a finite amount of reps. I know you have a full month but that tells me it’s wide open.”

Sayfie continued shared some more insight about the three quarterbacks for the Wolverines. He felt some things had led some to believe that either a Tuttle or Warren was in the lead ahead of Orji. However, more than one player could be in position to play here with what they each offer.

“Jack Tuttle was hurt in the spring so he’s certainly going to have his shot. But I also don’t think that the answer to your question is necessarily going to be one name,” admitted Sayfie.

“Kirk Campbell came on our podcast a couple weeks ago and he said that Alex Orji, who’s a freak athlete, is one of the 11 best players on the Michigan offense and they’re going to have a role for him no matter what. That led a lot of people on the outside to believe that it’s going to be Jack Tuttle or Davis Warren, two guys that pass the ball a little bit better or at least have more of a track record doing so, with Alex Orji playing a role as well,” Sayfie explained. “It’s kind of what I’ve thought all along but I also think Alex Orji is going to have a chance to win the job himself outright.”

At this point, Staples chimed in and shared a comparison from a different team last season. He thinks it’s much like Alabama, Michigan’s opponent in The Rose Bowl last year, considering how that position entered their last fall camp in Tuscaloosa.

“It sounds a lot like the Alabama competition last year with maybe a little more experience because of Jack Tuttle. I mean Tyler Buchner had some experience but that was Jalen Milroe-Tyler Buchner-Ty Simpson, all of whom brought kind of a different skillset to the table,” noted Staples. “They went with Milroe, they had the little experimental game against USF where they let the other two play, and they’re like, ‘Yeah, see? Milroe is the guy.'”

Sayfie agreed in that sense since, again, all three quarterbacks have some different games. Still, that makes it all the more important to find the eventual starter with the offense needing to shift in that person’s direction.

“You want to be able to find your identity and each guy has a different skillset that you have to build around,” said Sayfie.

“Kirk Campbell described it as we have this pot of plays as an offense – formations and different things we want to do – that all of them can do. They have to be able to do these things if you’re going to be the Michigan quarterback. But then, if it’s Alex Orji, we’re going to enhance this little corner of the offense and kind of build it up from there. If it’s Davis Warren, you do it with a different set of plays or things that you want to do. Same thing for Jack Tuttle, who’s kind of mobile but also has a bit of an arm,” Sayfie said. “It’s going to be really interesting to see what they want to do offensively.”

Michigan isn’t giving up anything regarding who their starting quarterback will be in 2024. Even so, they’re going to have to choose eventually because of what’s to come for them this fall.

“I just think that it is that open,” said Sayfie. “It’s going to be important for them to find out who that guy is soon or soon-ish because you do have a tough schedule right away.”

“Those calculations are going to be tough to make and Michigan is going to have to make them in the next couple of weeks.”