The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1451622
believe he can be groomed into a dan- gerous dual-threat player under cen- ter. Harbaugh is no stranger to getting the most out of athletic quarterbacks, evidenced by his work with Colin Kae- pernick during his time with the San Francisco 49ers. And Orji believes Harbaugh and Weiss will find a way to maximize his talents. "They don't try to fit a quarterback into the offense," Orji said. "They try to fit the offense around the quarterback. I feel like me, Cade [McNamara] and J.J. [McCarthy] all bring something differ- ent to the table. I feel like I'm a pocket passer with a big arm that likes to run." Orji, whose two older brothers, Alston and Anfernee, play linebacker at Vanderbilt, started his high school career as a wide receiver and did not be- come a full-time starter at quarterback until his junior season. As a senior, Orji passed for 2,064 yards and 28 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,187 yards and 24 touchdowns en route to leading Sachse to the state playoffs in the highest classification in Texas. Orji has also spent the last couple of offseasons fine tuning his mechanics with quarterback guru Brad Frazier, who operates Old School Quarterback in the Dallas area. "Alex is really passionate about ev- erything he does on and off the field," Frazier said. "He has a great football IQ. He really understands the game. He's the kind of guy that can extend plays and make big throws. He's also a leader. He doesn't have many starts playing quar- terback. He just needs more reps." Orji worked with Frazier right up until he left Garland for Ann Arbor in January. As an early enrollee, Orji will have time to pick up Michigan's offensive scheme and continue to improve as he learns from veteran McNamara and rising-star McCarthy. Frazier believes Orji will eventually find his place at Michigan and is excited for his future with the Wolverines. "He's a perfect fit for Michigan," Frazier said. "Coach Harbaugh is one of the greatest coaches ever. Coach Weiss is a great quarterbacks coach. He's big on leadership. Alex will slide right into the quarter- back room. He's developed from the waist down and can make every throw. He's athletic. He's going to be a leader for Michigan." ❑ 2022 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE MARCH 2022 THE WOLVERINE 53 ALEX ORJI QUARTERBACK 6-2 • 226 SACHSE HIGH SCHOOL SACHSE, TEXAS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 404 14* 63 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 9* 59 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 50 126 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 9^ 55 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 250 21* 39 * Ranked as an athlete; ^ ranked as a dual-threat QB RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan Dec. 15, 2021 after picking up his offer from the Maize and Blue in March 2021. • Picked U-M over notable offers from Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt and Ne- braska. Was previously committed to Virginia Tech before flipping to Michi- gan on National Signing Day. • Recruited by quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss. DID YOU KNOW? • Brothers Alston and Anfernee play linebacker at Vanderbilt. • Born Nov. 10, 2003. THEY SAID IT • On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "He is a high school quarterback who is certainly a considerable athlete at the position. Could be a really good run threat. If you want to have a run-centric offense at QB and run some of the Baltimore Ravens stuff like Michigan was doing, I think he would be really good at that." • TheWolverine.com recruiting in- sider EJ Holland: "Orji definitely has a strong arm. He can get the ball down- field with ease. However, he needs to continue to work on his mechanics, accuracy and touch. … Athletically, Orji is extremely gifted. The dude is built like a tank and is extremely dangerous with his legs. There is a lot to like about his athletic profile in general." HONORS • Helped lead the Mustangs to a 7-4 record and an appearance in the 6A Bi-District Playoffs. • Named to the 2021 Whata- burger Super Team, a state-wide team comprised of 40 honorees. • First team All-District 9-6A selec- tion as a senior. ˜Orji on Michigan "They don't try to fit a quarterback into the offense. They try to fit the offense around the quarterback. … I feel like I'm a pocket passer with a big arm that likes to run." consensus The four-star Orji is listed the No. 9 athlete in the land by On3, but is coming to Michigan as a quar- terback, and looks forward to learning under head coach Jim Harbaugh and position coach Matt Weiss. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND STATISTICS Year Comp. Pct. Pass Yds. TD INT Rush Yds. TD 2021 51.4 2,064 28 8 1,187 24 2020 52.3 1,403 10 7 926 15