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Kirk Campbell: ‘No concerns’ that next Michigan QB isn’t on the roster – is Alex Orji the favorite?

Chris Balasby:Chris Balas•03/15/24•

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Michigan quarterback Alex Orji is one of the spring favorites at his position. (Photo by Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports)

 

Michigan offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell has a huge task ahead of him in replacing J.J. McCarthy at quarterback, and he knows it. At the same time, the second-year U-M coach believes he has plenty of pieces to work with out of the five contenders, and he can’t wait to see what they do this spring. 

Many have surmised Michigan will have to go to the portal for its next QB to compete for a Big Ten title this year. Campbell, though, already seems convinced he has guys who can get the job done. 

“We’re going to evaluate the guys on the roster this spring. We’re excited with them, and I have no concerns there’s not a guy on this roster that won’t be able to lead Michigan next year,” he said, adding there’s no timeline on naming a starter. “I think wherever you put a timeline on things, you hamstring yourself with a decision maybe you’re not ready for, and/or don’t make the right one. We’re going to make the decision when the decision needs to be made. 

“But … I’m super excited about the room. We have five guys in that room right now that are going to have the opportunity to vie for the starting job. I’m just excited to see how it goes, take it one day at a time. Everything’s an evaluation, from meetings to practice, how they carry themselves in the weight room, how they get along with their team to completion percentage to decision making. We’re just constantly evaluating that. 

“We have a lot of talent in there. It’s my job to get the best out of them.”

The goal in the room, he noted, is a 67-percent completion percentage, and guys have been fine tuning their skills in preparation for the spring showdown. Jack Tuttle, Alex Orji, Jayden Denegal, Davis Warren, and Jaydn Davis will all get a shot, and all have come back in great shape with a good mindset, Campbell said. 

But finding one starter will likely take more than 15 practices, and the audition will be different than last year when McCarthy was off limits.

“When you’re in a competition, I prefer those guys to be live a lot more than we would have last year with J.J., where it was stay away from him,” Campbell said. “The guys we have in the room, you’ve got to test them … how do they hold up in pressure? True pressure in their face, not a guy who’s just running by and not going to hit ‘em.  Live quarterback play will be extremely important to me in making a decision.”

Jack Tuttle will get the most reps on day one because he’s the oldest, Campbell acknowledged, but that could change on day two based on performance. His return is great for the culture of the program, he added, and he’s a “great leader.”

Orji, though, might have the most upside. He can run, and he’s got a strong arm. He seems to be the fan favorite given his skills, but it will have to play out. They’ll all get their shot, including freshman Davis. 

“He’s going to have opportunity like the others to become a starter,” Campbell said of Davis. “… Super excited to have him. He embodies what you want in a quarterback — leadership, command, the ‘care factor,’ the ‘it factor.’ When you’re around him, his personality is infectious. It’s good to have a guy like that. We had a walkthrough yesterday and asked him to go through a lot of checks. He didn’t miss one, which has never been done before. Just super excited. He’s so coachable. He’s got a bright future, and we’ve just got to keep pushing him to get better every day. 

“Alex is also a great leader. He has a very good way about him, a great understanding of the offense. His development of throwing the football from the day I got here to now is vast. Not even the same guy. He looks like a totally different player right now. The ball pops off his hand. He’s playing with confidence; he knows what he’s doing. He has a base of fundamentals to help him succeed. He’s a very confident  player right now — just got to keep him there.”

They’ll all get their chance to prove themselves when spring practice starts Monday.

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