Sherrone Moore adds clarity to some position battles - others still up in the air
The Michigan starting quarterback battle continues into game week, with head coach Sherrone Moore insisting they’d let two players — Alex Orji and Davis Warren — battle this week before deciding on a starter. There’s a chance both will play against Fresno State, he added, and he’s not averse to playing two quarterbacks if the situation warrants it.
In other words — still not so clear, though Orji is expected to take first snaps against Fresno State Saturday night. Other positions, too, are still up in the air, including center and right tackle. Senior and former defensive tackle Dom Giudice is battling with senior Greg Crippen at center, with Raheem Anderson behind them. At right tackle, second-year Evan Link is pushing veteran Andrew Gentry.
At linebacker, Jimmy Rolder has emerged as an outstanding option behind Jaishawn Barham and Ernest Hausmann.
“He’s had a great camp. Just talking about him the other day. He’s healthy; he feels good and he’s playing to his potential,” Moore said. “You look back, and 2022 he started the Ohio State game. That’s a guy that has all the talent in the world to be a top linebacker in the country, and he’s really, really had a good camp.”
At safety, grad Makari Paige is a lock at one safety and is also having an outstanding camp, Moore said. He mentioned Quinten Johnson first when talking about the second safety, but several are still in the mix.
“Quinten johnson has been great, but you’ve got Zeke Berry and Wes Walker in there,” Moore said. “Jaden Mangham … you’ve got Brandyn Hillman really taking his level of play to the next level. He’s got some elite traits and ability that people haven’t seen yet. Zeke Berry, he just really needed the confidence … to watch his evolution in camp, he’s just made some ‘wow’ plays.”
At third receiver, Moore mentioned Kendrick Bell, C.J. Charleston, Amorion Walker, and Fred Moore as those battling for playing time.
“We’ll see who is going to take that and solidify it, but right now we’ve got great options,” Moore said.
Sophomore Jyaire Hill, meanwhile, has solidified his spot as CB2 down the line from elite junior Will Johnson on the other side.
“He’s really taken a hold of that position and done a really good job,” Moore said. “‘Sug’ has been phenomenal, tough … just a gritty dude.”
