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Nothing is working at quarterback for Michigan.
The Wolverines tried former walk-on Davis Warren to start the season but after a woeful performance against Arkansas State, first-year coach Sherrone Moore turned to Alex Orji.
The former three-star led Michigan to a win over USC but threw only 12 passes and had 32 passing yards in that 27-24 victory.
Seventh-year transfer quarterback Jack Tuttle, who played at Utah and then Indiana before coming to Ann Arbor, stepped in and while the Wolverines are throwing the ball more in their last two games, both were losses to Washington and Illinois.
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Heading into the Michigan State week, Moore was asked who would be the starter Saturday. He deferred and talked about what he’s looking for to make that decision.
“We’ll see as we practice this week,” Moore said.
“Just taking care of the ball. That’s going to be the No. 1 priority, that’s going to be the biggest thing. You want big plays. You want efficiency. But we have to take care of the football. That would be the No. 1 priority.”
After losing first-rounder JJ McCarthy to the NFL after Michigan’s national championship season, it seems like the Wolverines either trusted players who weren’t up to the challenge or misread the quarterback market entirely.
Asked why Moore didn’t go to the transfer portal for a quarterback after last season, Moore ran a misdirection play.
“There are a lot of different factors and things we can talk about but ultimately for us we have to focus on today and focus on who we have on the roster and making sure we can do everything we can to win,” Moore said.
Through a 4-3 start, Michigan is dead last in the Big Ten in most passing categories. The Wolverines have thrown only four more passes than Iowa but have fewer completions and touchdowns and five more interceptions than the Hawkeyes. Warren and Tuttle have more picks than touchdowns. Opponents are throwing for nearly double the passing yards.
Frustration has run so high that Michigan alum and multi-millionaire Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy - for publicity or not - has stated he’s willing to pay big bucks in NIL to get a quarterback for Michigan every year.
There has been chatter this week that Michigan has re-engaged - or at least tried to - with five-star LSU quarterback commit Bryce Underwood from Belleville, Mich., some 30 minutes away.
A potential answer to Michigan’s woes could already be standing on the sideline.
The Wolverines signed high four-star Jadyn Davis from Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day last recruiting cycle. There have been some rumors that an agreement was made to redshirt Davis this season to acclimate him to the program and to have time to get ready. Moore has seemingly denied those rumors.
But it might be time to give Davis, ranked as the fifth-best pro-style quarterback and the No. 1 prospect in North Carolina, the old college try. How could it be worse?
Moore seemed fired up about Davis on signing day.
“He kind of has that ‘it’ factor,” Moore said. “We talked about this when we recruited JJ, there’s just something about him, he has ‘it.’ The No. 1 thing is he’s a winner. You look at his record, what he’s done as a high school player, state championships, player of the year, the guy wins, he knows how to win and he’s done it on all stages.
“From a skillset standpoint, he’s a great passer, he’s done a great job with his mechanics in the pocket, he’s athletic enough and he does the things as a quarterback and he’s a great leader.”
But maybe Michigan’s season is already too far gone - even with the Spartans lurking - and then Oregon, Indiana, Northwestern and Ohio State licking their chops.
“The question goes beyond whether Michigan should start Davis this year,” Maize & Blue Review publisher Josh Henschke said.
“I could see a scenario where he could play a few snaps in a meaningless blowout game but shelving him for the future is the best thing for his overall development. Allow him to get acclimated to the college game and have a solid year of strength and conditioning under him. Otherwise, you have the risk of ‘ruining’ him before he’s ready. The season is practically out of reach. I just don’t see the benefit of playing Davis right now.”
Maybe Davis could provide a spark or maybe not. The first three quarterbacks Michigan has tried this year haven’t done much. Maybe it’s time to see what the young gun can do.
