Jack Tuttle injury update: Will the Michigan QB be available in the coming weeks?
Graduate quarterback Jack Tuttle didn’t dress for Michigan‘s season-opener against Fresno State, but he was in a helmet and shoulder pads and took part in warmups ahead of the Week 2 matchup with Texas.
Tuttle was listed as ‘questionable’ on the official availability report, but since he was physically limited with an undisclosed injury most of fall camp and was out one week before, it didn’t appear that he was going to get any playing time if Michigan had to go to a backup signal-caller against the Longhorns.
It remains a possibility, though, that he gets some reps at some point in the future. Head coach Sherrone Moore said Monday that Tuttle has been “throwing more this week.”
“It looks like he’ll be ready to go,” Moore said without going into specifics.
Michigan offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell shed some more light on the situation on the ‘Inside Michigan Football’ radio show Monday night.
“Jack has been engaged since day one in the room,” Campbell said. “He’s in every quarterback meeting. He comes in and meets with me all the time. He’s developed very far along.
“We’re hoping he’ll be able to suit up and possibly enters games if he ever earns that position by this week or USC.”
Before Michigan’s fall camp began and Tuttle was unable to fully participate, Moore said the seventh-year senior was having a strong offseason.
“He’s been great, man,” Moore said. “He’s been accurate, he’s been throwing it hard, physical, fast and he looks good. … He’s excited, to say the least. Watching him compete and we’re ready to see what happens.”
Kirk Campbell on Davis Warren and Alex Orji split, Jadyn Davis’ progression
Michigan has rolled with senior Davis Warren as the starter, though, with junior Alex Orji mixed in, mostly for run plays in short-yardage situations. He had 3 snaps against Texas, including two on third downs that weren’t picked up with his legs and a handoff to graduate running back Kalel Mullings for a gain of 3 yards. Campbell discussed the process of deciding when to insert Orji into the game.
“Alex in his history last year is just really good when the ball is in his hands,” Campbell said. “We were trying to create a spark there on the first one. He did a good job with the read; we got the ball on the perimeter, and the safety made a heck of a tackle on Kalel Mullings. We had a hat for a hat. We thought we had a good play there.
“And then the second one on third down, we were in a situation where we thought we were in a two-down situation. We put Alex out there. The D-end makes a nice play. If we get the ball on the perimeter, it’s a first down; if Alex pulls it, it’s a first down.
“Just using him in situations that he has thrived in, in the past. Obviously, the net result was not great on Saturday. We need to reevaluate that. But use him in those situations and then try to expand his role as much as we can [as long as] that doesn’t take away from the flow of the game.”
Michigan freshman Jadyn Davis, meanwhile, has been running scout team, per radio host and former U-M All-American Jon Jansen. The former four-star recruit hasn’t appeared in any game action yet, but Campbell left open the possibility of playing him.
“He’s a great leader,” Campbell said of Davis. “He’s got a quiet confidence that’s infectious to the people around him. He’s learned the offense really fast for a freshman.
“He just needs to continue to work on faster feet in the pocket and development on pocket stuff. But we’re going to push him to develop more, and hopefully in practice can give him some reps just to continue to develop him through the season, because it is a long season and you don’t know what’s going to happen.”
