Sherrone Moore Talks Davis Warren, Alex Orji Amid QB Change

Redshirt junior Davis Warren earned the right to be named Michigan’s starting quarterback in 2024 with his performance over the final two weeks of the Wolverines’ fall camp, but three games into the season, a change had to happen.

Head coach Sherrone Moore announced Monday that No. 18 Michigan will start sophomore Alex Orji in next Saturday’s game against No. 11 USC. Moore told reporters that Warren, who has thrown just two touchdowns and six interceptions in the Wolverines’ first three games, was disappointed but continues to be a good teammate in UM’s quarterback room.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s a tough situation,” Moore said. “You know, what we talk about the most is taking care of the ball and not putting it in danger.”

Moore is also proud of how Warren responded after being benched in last weekend’s game against Arkansas State, in which the quarterback threw three of his interceptions. Orji led Michigan on a nine-play drive, capped by a touchdown pass to tight end Hogan Hansen, after replacing Warren.

“He’s a great team player,” Moore said of Warren. “Watching him on the field, you know, after that, and celebrating Alex’s touchdown, going up there and giving him a hug. I didn’t have to say much to motivate him or support him. You know, we’re going to continue to support him. He’s one of our team players. You know, no matter what happens, the ups (and downs) and how the game goes, the adversity, we’re always going to support our players. But at the end of the day, we have to partner with the guys that are helping us win at that moment. So, for us, Davis has been great. He’s been great. Obviously, I feel down, I’m not happy with his performance at all, but I always root for him in some way.”

Asked in hindsight whether he thought starting Warren Michigan’s starter to start the year was the right decision, Moore said yes.

“Yes,” he said.

How did Orji react after not getting the starting job in fall camp?

“I mean, both of those guys, we’ve said it before, both of those guys are great team players, and he was the first one to pat Davis on the back, hug him, congratulate him and be there,” Moore said. “His attitude never changed. His demeanor never wavered. But obviously, he was disappointed. He’s a competitor, he’s a kid, he wants to be the starter. But the way he coached, the way he acted, the way he presented himself was no different than it is now.”

Moore told reporters that Michigan doesn’t intend to “go back and forth” on who will start the quarterback week to week throughout the season. After evaluating the play of Warren and Orji so far, the Wolverines’ staff is confident in the latter decision.

“I mean, it’s part of the game,” Moore said of the tough decisions to make to start. “You have to make changes at other positions. You have to make changes when guys get hurt. You always have to be ready. There’s always a ‘next man up’ mentality. We’ve had to do that in this program, and we’re going to continue to do that. So the whole team will rally around the quarterback, whoever he is, and win as a team. That’s the goal.”

Michigan has yet to play the quarterback on the roster who brought the most experience to the 2024 season — former Indiana transfer Jack Tuttle. The graduating senior was JJ McCarthy’s backup a season ago but missed time during the 2023 campaign after suffering an injury. Tuttle was limited during Michigan’s spring practice and continues to work toward full health. After being listed as “Out” for Michigan’s season opener against Fresno State, Tuttle dressed and was reclassified to “Questionable” before games against Texas and Arkansas State.

“Yeah, I think we’ll see a little bit more this week how the healing process goes,” Moore said when asked if there was a chance Tuttle could play this week. “So as we go forward, we’ll just follow the doctor’s advice on that.”

As for 2024 four-star quarterback Jadyn Davis, Moore said he hasn’t had any conversations with the true freshman about redshirting this season, preferring to keep his options open for the future.

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