The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1527978
NOVEMBER 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 21 thought anything about that, but I guess that was a big deal, for a kid to be able to do that. I remember that circulating when he was in middle school." Fast-forward to Michigan football, fall camp, 2024. Orji's skills put him in position to compete for the starting job. They didn't win that job in the crucial weeks of camp, and although Dr. Orji understood her son well, there's always a chance that the disappointment be- comes burdensome. She heard the response she expected, all the way from Ann Arbor. "The plan was, learn as much as you can and be ready when your time comes," she mused. "That was the prayer. When his time comes, I pray that he's ready. When he wasn't named the starter and Warren was, I was like, 'Hey, how are you?' He said, 'I'm good, Mom. There's still work to be done.' I said, 'There you go. That's all that mat- ters. As long as you know there's work to be done, then let's go!' "He never wavered. Even when people complained about his teammates. I was told by someone that Alex actually got on [one unnamed broadcaster], and told him he cannot bring down his teammates, just because he wants to talk about Alex. He said, 'No, I will not allow you to talk badly about my teammates.'" Then came USC, and the confirmation of a start. Dr. Orji acknowledged a high level of excitement, and something else. "Was I also scared? Yes!" she said with a laugh. "It's 111,000 people." She and Willy were among those in at- tendance for their son's first start. They rejoiced in the expected fashion, with a friend back home claiming to notice. "A friend of mine in Dallas said, 'I could hear you from the stadium!'" Dr. Orji said, again laughing. "I said, 'You know, I'm not screaming when he's in. I'm screaming when the defense is in.' When the defense is in, I'm like, 'Let's go! Let's go! Get him!' When he's in, I'm quiet and just … still. "We're excited for the team. The truth is, nobody picked them to win that game. USC was highly favored." She's also excited for No. 10 in maize and blue, regardless of the results on any given Saturday. "Alex is an awesome human being," she offered. "Of course, every mother is going to say that about her kid. But this kid just impresses me. He makes me want to be a better person sometimes, a better human. He's just a good human. He's kind. His love for God — I know people say, you raised him right. It's nothing but God. I couldn't have done it. "Yes, we have given him an environ- ment where he could appreciate that, but there are no guarantees that he will. He has a heart for God, and a heart for people. He's a hard worker. He's always been. We talk about the phrases I've used on all of my kids. You don't just practice until you get it right. If you tell him this, he will finish it for you: You practice until you can't get it wrong." ❑ Michigan could be on the verge of its third starting quarterback this season. Seventh-year grad QB Jack Tuttle came on to replace Alex Orji when the Wol- verines fell behind, 14-0, at Washington, and he could get the next starting assignment behind center. Despite Tuttle losing a fumble and throwing an interception in the closing moments at Washington, head coach Sherrone Moore indicated Tuttle could be the next man up, now that he's fully healed from injury. "I think we'll see when we watch the film," Moore said. "But I feel good about the way he played. I feel good about what he did, so right now if we had to play tomorrow, I would say Tuttle would be the starting quarterback … for us to be successful with him and to be successful with Donovan [Ed- wards], Kalel [Mullings], the rest of the guys. I feel he gives us a great chance to win. We'll just clean up the turnovers and go from there." Michigan quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell noted in the offseason that junior quarterback Alex Orji — who has started all three Big Ten games so far — is one of the team's 11 best players on the offensive side of the football. What that means in terms of what he does now remains uncertain. He could continue to enter games and run a more ground-oriented attack, supply different looks in special packages, etc. He'll also continue working on smoothing out his passing game. Orji himself understands the goals. He's rooting for whomever stands behind center, while keeping himself ready to do whatever he's asked to help win games. "We've got a lot of dawgs in the offense, a lot of guys who can play really good ball," Orji noted. "The thing with our quarterback room and Coach Campbell reiterating, it's whoever can protect the football, and get the ball to those playmakers. … We're going to win a lot of games with guys doing it that way." He knows he's capable of serving as a good red zone weapon because of his ability to run the football. While he understands protecting himself against foolish risk, he doesn't mind mixing it up to advance the football. "I've been a physical quarterback as long as I've been playing the posi- tion," he said. "It's what God has blessed me with. I've got to find a balance sometimes between being physical and just playing smart, protecting myself. That's something I talk with Coach Campbell, Coach Moore about all the time. You feel it out, just within the confines of a game. The first quarter is a little different than the fourth quarter, depending on the score situation and all of that. "To me, it's whatever it takes to help the team win. If I've got to run through someone's face on fourth down, that's what it will be. If it's first- and-10 in the first quarter, that's a different story. It's being smart but also knowing, I'm a naturally physical guy. I'm finding a way to navigate that." He's still finding a way to navigate his role, like others on this offense. Orji insists he doesn't second-guess himself about how things went in fall camp, and he's not likely to play what-if on what is transpiring at midseason. He's got work to do. "I'm not someone who likes to live with regrets," Orji said. "Everything I did through camp put me in the position I am today. I thank God for every single day, every single moment, every practice, every play. I can't say that I look back and wish I would change anything. At the end of the day, I'm not going to be able to change what's in the past." — John Borton The Way Forward ❱ Head coach Sherrone Moore "He was the same Alex you saw on Saturday after the [USC] game, the same Alex that he always is. Just up- lifting others, great energy, great spirit, great person, learning, continuing to get better. He's been the same and steadfast, and he stayed the course."