The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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26 THE WOLVERINE ❱ APRIL 2024 BY CHRIS BALAS M ichigan lost one of the nation's best quarter- backs to the NFL in J.J. McCar- thy, and he'll be extremely hard to replace. There's no obvious candidate waiting in the wings, and many believe the Wolver- ines will have to turn to the por- tal once again for their starter in 2024. Don't tell that to the guys on the roster, however. All of them saw an opportunity once Mc- Carthy declared for the draft, and two of them — juniors Alex Orji and Jayden Denegal — had already gotten to work a day af- ter they returned from the Col- lege Football Playoff National Championship game, earning praise from former head coach Jim Harbaugh. Q u a r te r b a c k s c o a c h K i rk Campbell, entering his first year as offensive coordinator, is ex- cited about the competition. "We embrace it," he said on the "Inside Michigan Football" radio show in February. "We know that there's only one guy that's going to take snaps come Saturdays, but we embrace com- petition. "We're going to push each other to be better. Everybody's going to support everybody, which is unique and how the culture of the room has been built, and nobody's going to root for anybody's lack of success. We're only going to root for people's success, and we're going to attack it like that." Michigan has had portal success since Harbaugh arrived, first with Jake Rudock (Iowa) in 2015 and then Shea Patterson (Ole Miss, 2018-19). Cade McNamara, the 2021 starter on a Big Ten championship team, and McCarthy were both home grown, but now the Wolverines could go either way. Orji might be the favorite heading into spring ball, but he's got a long way to go to be a polished thrower. He's run 21 times for 123 yards and 3 scores but only thrown one pass — a 5-yard completion in 2022 — in nine total games. He'll need to have a big spring. Denegal has been even more limited, but he's come on strong. "In my eyes, he was the most improved player on the offense," Campbell praised. "His devel- opment in over a year has been vast. Now, he still needs to im- prove." He compared Denegal to for- mer Pittsburgh Steelers quarter- back Ben Roethlisberger in style. "He was a little slow [to de- velop] because his drops were too robotic," Campbell said of the 6-5, 235-pounder during the playoff run. "We've been try- ing to speed up his footwork to match the throws. His accuracy has increased, and his mental understanding of the game, his understanding of football, is go- ing through the roof right now." Two others — veteran Jack Tuttle, last year's backup, and former walk-on Davis Warren will also get their shots. Tuttle is back for a seventh year of eli- gibility after completing 15 of 17 pass attempts for 130 yards and a touchdown last year. He has Big Ten starting experience (five starts in 15 games played) as a former Indiana quarterback. Warren, meanwhile, opened some eyes with his skills a few years back, but took a step back this past year. "He was banged up there for a little bit, but he's always been an extremely good thrower of the football," Campbell said. "He had a setback at the begin- ning of the year but moved his way back up the depth chart. Now he's back, in a good place mentally and physically." Finally, freshman Jadyn Davis might be a long shot, but the former four-star signal-caller is a talent. He is a two- time Gatorade North Carolina Football Player of the Year and passed for 3,370 yards and 43 touchdowns as a senior at Charlotte Providence Day. "The biggest thing I've taken away is that he's extremely coachable," Camp- bell said after seeing him in practice. "You tell him a coaching point, he's able to go out there and apply it. I just think he has an extremely bright future." ❑ QUARTERBACKS Competition Is Wide Open At Signal-Caller ❱ AT A GLANCE Position Coach: Kirk Campbell (second season with QBs, first as OC) Returning Starters: — Departing Starters: J.J. McCarthy (28 career starts) Contenders To Start: Alex Orji (Jr.), Jack Tuttle (Gr.), Jayden Denegal (Jr.) Top Reserves: Davis Warren (Sr.) Newcomer: Jadyn Davis (Fr.) Junior Jayden Denegal saw limited game action in his first two sea- sons, but offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell said he was "the most improved player on the offense" last year. PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF