All offseason, the expectation outside of Schembechler Hall was that Alex Orji would earn the starting quarterback job for Michigan football and run with it. However, that’s not how it worked in reality.
The narrative was so pervasive that Orji is the default starter in the all-new EA Sports College Football 25 video game, however it was Davis Warren who beat him out in fall camp. Warren went 15-for-25 for 118 yards, one touchdown and one interception against Fresno State while Orji was 1-for-2 for three yards and a touchdown.
On his Monday appearance on Inside Michigan Football, head coach Sherrone Moore said that there was a plan to utilize Orji in spots and that’s exactly what happened. Unlike last year when Orji was out there to run the wildcat, however, this time the intention would be that he’d make his second pass attempt in a Michigan uniform. And it worked to perfection as he threw his first career passing touchdown.
“We had a plan of, we were going to put him in — the first time he’d be in there, he had that play action and throw it,” Moore said. “Thought that he’d be a lightning bolt — they’d say that he’d be running the ball — so he did a really good job of executing the play, and it was a really good job by Donovan of making the catch.”
That said, fans can expect to see more of Orji moving forward, perhaps starting this week against Texas.
“He’ll have an extensive package of what he does throughout games and it’ll grow and grow every game,” Moore said.
Orji’s second pass attempt in Week 2 was a huge miss on what was essentially a routine roll out and pitch. His passing game may still be a work in progress but his athleticism and ability running the football is undeniable.
If Orji can figure out the passing aspect of his game, then it could be a huge boon for a Michigan team that looked awfully disjointed offensively in Week 1. And Orji, a Texas native, would certainly love an opportunity to show out against his home state team — especially since the Longhorns never offered.