Michigan quarterbacks pushing each other in competition: 'Selfless pursuit of excellence'
The situation couldn't be more different in the Michigan football quarterback room from this time last season.
A year ago, J.J. McCarthy was already announced as the starter, anointed as the man who would lead U-M to its first national championship in a quarter of a century. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened.
On Saturday, when the Maize team beat the Blue team, 17-7, in the annual intrasquad scrimmage to wrap up spring practices, four quarterbacks took turns in a legitimate QB race: junior Alex Orji, senior Davis Warren, junior Jayden Denegal and freshman Jadyn Davis.
There would've been a fifth, graduate student Jack Tuttle, but he's out with an injury. Quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell said Tuttle will be back in the summer to compete for the starting job.
Among the five, Campbell said the only person not truly in the thick of the competition is Davis.
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On the outside of the program, there has been concern expressed over the level of experience, or lack thereof, among the quarterbacks. Combined, they have started five games, all by Tuttle while at Indiana, when he threw fewer touchdowns (five) than interceptions (six) for his career.
The others — Warren, Denegal and Orji — have thrown just 20 combined passes in their career, not a single one of which was of any consequence.
After what's been said to be an impressive spring behind closed doors, Campbell stated Saturday there is no plan to go out and add a quarterback via the transfer portal window, which is open until April 30.
"That is not part of our thought process right now," Campbell said. "Roster evaluation is always part of the process, but right now, that’s not something we’re looking at."
In other words, it's more likely than not the man who starts on Aug. 31 against Fresno State was at the Big House on Saturday. Though the face under center will be new, it's no secret what the expectation will be.
Warren called what McCarthy did last year "the standard" for U-M. He identified eliminating turnovers, making explosive plays, being calm and cool in the pocket and operating the offense efficiently as the keys to winning the job.
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According to those in the competition, it's no closer to being decided than when it started.
"I would say we all started right here, we all kept rising," Orji said lifting his hand higher and higher. "As a QB group, we’ve all taken the necessary steps to put ourselves in position to be in position. Especially from me and Jayden, to Jadyn to Davis and Tuttle, we’ve all done things this spring that have been really good."
'Having a QB family'
Neither Warren nor Orji spoke with much killer instinct in the visiting media room underneath Michigan Stadium after their final practice of April.
Warren gushed over Orji's athletic ability, a truly unique skillset in the room, while Orji called Warren the "guru of quarterback mechanics' and in the same breath said Denegal has 'as big an arm as anybody."
"I think Coach Campbell says it well," Warren began. "The guy who’s out there is a product of the room."
They were asked if, eventually, the friendly competition could lead to them turning on one another? Orji pushed back.
"I think the killer switch is when we see guys in different color jerseys on Saturday," he explained. "Through spring, through this coming summer and fall camp we’re all helping each other to be the best quarterback possible ... the selfless pursuit of excellence.
"I’d be selfish if I learned something about a defense or our offense and kept it to myself. If I end up not being the starter, then I’ll be depriving our team of that knowledge, if that makes sense."
Selflessness is a theme Orji, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound speedster continued to hammer on during perhaps the longest media session of his U-M career. He lives with Denegal and though the two are in direct competition, Orji said they're assets to one another first and foremost.
The two have a whiteboard on the wall of their apartment; Orji described how they will take turns drawing up different plays against different coverages, discussing schemes and how they see or understand a concept.
"Learning from other guys in the room, really underrated part of having a QB family," Orji said. "(That's why) whoever goes out there on Saturdays is a summation of the whole room put together."
'Each other's biggest hype men'
It was Warren who stole the show on Saturday.
After his lone series in the first half where he completed a 35-yard pass to Deakon Tonielli on third down to keep the drive alive which ultimately led to a field goal, he made the play of the game his next time on the field.
That was midway through the fourth quarter, with his Maize team trailing 7-3, when he unleashed a 42-yard deep bomb to the speedster Kendrick Bell who ran underneath the rainbow throw in the middle of the end zone for the go-ahead score.
One might think that would cut Orji to the core. Not only could it dent his chances of landing the job, but there were stakes on the line (literally and figuratively). The winning team Saturday got to eat steaks, with the losing team settling for hot dogs. But none of that even crossed his mind.
"We’re each other’s biggest hype men," he said. "The thing about this QB battle is we all thrive off competition. But like I said earlier, when Dave through that bomb — it’s in the air and I’m on the Blue team — I’m hoping it’s caught, because I love those guys and I love to see offensive architecture."
'We know how that goes'
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Warren would add another off-schedule touchdown when he scrambled right later in the quarter and found sophomore Fredrick Moore on a check down, who did the rest of the work and raced 49 yards for the game's final score.
He unofficially completed 6 of 9 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
Orji didn't have the same eye-popping plays in the air — the junior overthrew a few attempts and threw behind on a couple others as he didn't complete anything more than 15 yards downfield — but in the end, he connected on 11 of 17 attempts for 95 yards and did run in an 18-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Denegal struggled Saturday, throwing one pick and nearly a second, but Campbell said after a slow start through four practices the junior "surged" in the last 11 to assert himself in the mix.
"They’ve got to be low-turnover, high-completion players," Campbell said. "But there’s stuff off the field (too). All are great leaders, but who’s the great guy? The best guy to go out there and lead this team.
"We’ll make the decision when the decision is right. We’ll do what is best for the entire team. We have really good players in that room, you got to see that today, and it’s my job to make sure that we get them in the best situation come Saturday.”
There are 19 Saturdays between now and the first time the Wolverines take the field under head coach Sherrone Moore to defend their national title.
U-M had its ring ceremony prior to the game, then the sides split up. Some wearing a Michigan football uniform took a loss for the first time in a year. Even though Orji was on that side of the afternoon, he kept the big picture in mind, which is also his plan for the summer and into the fall.
"Something Coach Campbell harped on us a lot, (Saturday) it’s Maize vs. Blue, but really it’s O vs. D," Orji said. "Then, eventually, when it’s Michigan vs. Everybody, we know how that goes.”
Contact Tony Garcia: apgarcia@freepress.com. Follow him at @realtonygarcia.
Order now: Celebrate Michigan's national title with our two commemorative books: "Blue Reign" and "Maize & Grand." You can also buy commemorative wall art of the front page of the Detroit Free Press from the morning after U-M's historic championship.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Winner of Michigan QB competition will be 'product of the room'
