Michigan’s offense against USC is going to look different with Alex Orji replacing Davis Warren at quarterback. What details should we look for? What are the nuances involved in the Wolverines’ big adjustment against the Trojans? You need to be following Wolverines Wire for full Michigan football coverage and analysis. We asked Wolverines Wire editor Isaiah Hole about what to expect from Orji and Michigan’s offense against USC:
“I do think with Orji being named the starting quarterback this week that he should be featured heavily in terms of the run game, but I’m also skeptical of this staff’s ability to put players in the best position to succeed,” Hole told us. “Regardless of Davis Warren having perhaps the more precise arm, I strongly question the staff starting him in the first place, because I think Orji has a much higher ceiling if you utilize him correctly. The staff (last year) has long equated him to that of Alabama star Jalen Milroe, and Orji emulated him in preparation for the Rose Bowl last year. They’re very similar players, and like Milroe, Michigan should have realized it needed to get him involved in the pass game early in the season to get him acclimated. Not all players are going to be as precise in practice, but for some it turns on in games. I’m not sure whether or not Orji will be that type of player, but it was clear that the team had initially intended for him to eventually be the starter. As far as putting Warren in for some passes here and there, no, I don’t think he’s got that live of an arm where he needs to come in and intermittently throw the ball. He had his shot and he was shown to be a liability with six interceptions. He wasn’t making incredible plays downfield outside of that, so if you’re going to live and die with one thrower, it might as well be the guy who can also make teams factor him in via the run game.”
As you contemplate Isaiah Hole’s analysis of Michigan’s offense, it’s worth asking: Did Colston Loveland’s injury at tight end have anything to do with the decision to go run heavy with Orji this week?
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