Who is Alex Orji? Michigan football QB makes first start vs. USC

Posted by author September 21, 2024 Football

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Michigan football made the switch at the most important position before Big Ten play begins, after a slow start out of the gates.

Alex Orji is stepping in at quarterback for the Wolverines to start against USC in U-M’s first Big Ten game of the season. He is replacing Davis Warren, who won the job out of training camp but struggled through the first three weeks.

Head coach Sherrone Moore announced the switch Monday, two days after Warren threw three interceptions and was subsequently benched in the Wolverines’ 28-18 win over Arkansas State. He had emerged as the top option in the battle to replace J.J. McCarthy which started in spring practices and lasted all the way through training camp over Orji and an injured Jack Tuttle.

THE EXPLANATION: Sherrone Moore explains why Michigan football publicly announced Alex Orji as QB starter

Orji came in and was 2-for-4 for 12 yards and one touchdown vs. Arkansas State in a quarter of action. On the season, the junior has completed three of six passes for 15 yards and two touchdowns. He had a consistent set of packages through the first two weeks, taking Warren off the field and using his legs as an option as a dual-threat quarterback to rush 10 times for 58 yards.

Alex Orji stats

Orji, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound athlete from Sachse, Texas, will make his first career start Saturday against No. 12 USC. He appeared sparingly as a freshman in 2022 before serving as the primary backup behind McCarthy on the national championship-winning team in 2023.

In his nine appearances before this season, Orji only attempted (and completed) one pass and was primarily used as a running threat. He ran for 123 yards on 21 carries in his first two seasons, and has added 58 yards on 10 carries this season.

The worries about Orji’s ability to throw the ball are the main knock against him as the successor to McCarthy. He had a couple underthrows on his limited attempts this season and has faced stacked boxes to stop the run but did not show the turnover issues that have popped up for Warren in his three starts.

The switch is a major decision point for first-year head coach Sherrone Moore, who had been backing Warren before saying the turnover issues led to the switch.

“Alex will start on Saturday,” Moore told reporters Monday in Ann Arbor. “Excited for him. He’s been in here champing at the bit.”

Alex Orji recruiting

Orji was a three-star athlete out of high school and committed as a part of Michigan’s 2022 class according to 247 Sports. He was named the most athletic quarterback in college football by The Athletic in the offseason due to his rushing ability at his size.

He now has a chance to show that talent and can be a complete quarterback against a top-ranked team in USC that comes to Ann Arbor with a top-20 scoring defense.

Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press covering the city’s professional teams, the state’s two flagship universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22, and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.