Following last season's big win at the national championship, everything will look new in Ann Arbor in 2024.
Many of last year's star players are gone and there is an entirely new coaching staff led by former offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore. Only one of the on-field coaching staff is in the same position as a year ago (wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy). Otherwise, there will be plenty of familiar faces as well as new faces taking on new roles.
Kirk Campbell was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator and will continue to oversee the passer. But with JJ McCarthy heading to the NFL, he will have to find a new guy to lead the maize and blue under center. There are a lot of options, but there is no clear choice as to who will be the starter next year.
CBS Sports' Chip Patterson took a look at Ann Arbor's quarterback situation and gave his diagnosis of the room and what the competition will look like.
Contestants: Jaden Denegal, Alex Orge, Jadyn Davis, Jack Tuttle, Davis Warren
The first spring practice under Jim Harbaugh has put the spotlight on first-year coach Sherrone Moore and his plans for the quarterback position. There's no doubt that Michigan, which has already carved out the motto “SMASH” as his theme, will be a team built around dominance at the line of scrimmage, rather than a delicate game that demands more from its quarterback. do not have. But that doesn't make the position any less important. Because the excellence of J.J. McCarthy, who did exactly what the University of Michigan asked him to do, led the Wolverines to snatch the last two Big 1 titles and win the national championship in 2023. This is because it has become. Our prediction is that Denegal, a 6-4 pro-style quarterback from California, represents one stylistic option for Moore and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell. Orji, on the other hand, has already proven his dual-threat ability in six action games, primarily as a special threat in the ground game. Orji had rushing attempts in both the College Football Playoff wins over Alabama and Washington, and it's clear the coaching staff trusts him on the biggest stage. However, we have yet to see him perform regularly as a downfield passer. Expect this competition to continue into the spring, fall, and possibly into the season.
Orji feels like the favorite for us, but seventh-year and former four-star Jack Tuttle shouldn't be underestimated either. His tenure at Indiana wasn't necessarily inspiring, but his role as a backup at Michigan last year certainly showed he could lead an offense.
Either way, there's plenty of time to secure a QB room. Signal callers are currently competing for positions during spring baseball, but there is still not only summer but also fall camp left to determine the position.
Fans will have a chance to see the quarterback in action on April 20, when Michigan State football hosts its annual spring game in the Big House at noon ET.
The story originally appeared on Wolverines Wire
