ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In most of the offseason discourse surrounding Michigan football’s quarterback competition in spring ball, when it comes to presumed favorite Alex Orji, he’s spoken about in terms of his escapability and running ability — but not his arm.
It makes sense. Orji didn’t complete any passes in 2023, yet was used primarily as a wildcat option in his many appearances. The most recent pass we’ve seen Orji complete was a deep shot to Semaj Morgan in last year’s spring game, but nothing since.
But edge rusher Josaiah Stewart is here to tell you: don’t doubt his arm.
On Tuesday, Stewart discussed spring ball at-large, but when WolverinesWire asked about Orji in particular, he set the record straight: he’s more than just a running back out there.
“Orji, obviously, he has great legs, he can escape the pocket. But believe it or not, he can throw,” Stewart said. “People who might not believe that — social media and whatnot saying that he can’t throw. But he can throw and I’ve seen him throw dot down the field. And it’s worse when you just, just almost get there and he gets the ball off and it’s a touchdown.
“So he’s good at doing that. He’s good at escaping and getting the ball downfield.”
In spring ball, Orji does have stiff competition, facing off against Jayden Denegal, Davis Warren, and highly-touted freshman Jadyn Davis. Jack Tuttle, who returns for a seventh year, has been limited due to injury.
At the moment, there’s no clear winner and it doesn’t appear to be one coming soon. But Orji appears to have the inside track due to his skill set, and if he is accurate downfield, certainly, that poses a threat to opposing defenses given his running ability.
