ANN ARBOR, Mich. — As Michigan prepared for a midseason reset, Sherrone Moore called his starting quarterback with a message.
Moore knew Jack Tuttle was beating himself up about two fourth-quarter turnovers that doomed Michigan in a loss at Washington. Tuttle’s season debut came under less-than-ideal circumstances: down 14-0 on the road, the offense looking stagnant and only a handful of practices under his belt. Even so, Tuttle led Michigan to 17 unanswered points before a fumble and an interception spoiled the comeback.
Michigan put Tuttle in a tough spot, and he responded as best he could. Moore wants his quarterback, who will have two weeks to prepare for his first start, to wipe the slate clean and embrace his new role with a clear mind.
“We just chatted about it and talked about it,” Tuttle said. “Obviously, it hurts. He just assured me, and I assured him, ‘Hey, we’re going to learn from this and get better.’ That’s all you can do.”
Michigan is doing its best to make Saturday’s game at No. 22 Illinois a turning point for a team that underperformed in the first half of the season. The switch to Tuttle is the most significant change, though changes could happen at other positions as well — notably at right tackle, where Jeffrey Persi could move into the starting lineup in place of redshirt freshman Evan Link.
A vibe shift was needed after Michigan (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) spent much of the first half of the season on the brink of disaster. Even the games Michigan won were uncomfortable, and dismal production in the passing game overshadowed any of the good things the Wolverines accomplished on offense.
That’s where Tuttle, now in his seventh season of college football, comes in. He’s the most experienced quarterback on Michigan’s roster by a wide margin, and players noticed the change in energy as soon as he stepped into the huddle during the second quarter at Washington.
“He was just a super calming presence,” left guard Josh Priebe said. “He’s had some playing time at other schools and other places, and he’s also been in some adverse situations in games before. Having that experience is definitely an advantage in those times.”
Adverse situations are nothing new for Tuttle. He signed with Utah as a four-star quarterback prospect from the Class of 2018 but described his freshman season there as “not a great experience.” He transferred to Indiana and played four seasons for the Hoosiers, primarily as a backup. Tuttle’s last start was Nov. 5, 2022, against Penn State, a game in which he completed 9 of 12 passes before leaving with a shoulder injury.
When Tuttle transferred to Michigan, he had no illusions about becoming the starting quarterback. His job was to be J.J. McCarthy’s backup, though even that didn’t go as planned. On his first carry of the season against UNLV, he injured his shoulder after being flung into a Gatorade cooler on the sideline. He returned later in the season and played through an elbow injury that required extensive rehabilitation after he was approved for a seventh season of eligibility.
The plan was for Tuttle to be full-go at the start of preseason camp, but his recovery took longer than expected. He didn’t receive full clearance until the week of Michigan’s game against Minnesota, at which point Alex Orji had already displaced Davis Warren as the starting quarterback.
“(The recovery) should have been, like, pretty simple and easy,” Tuttle said. “That’s how it went for a long while, but everybody’s body is different. It just took more time than what I really wanted it to.”
Michigan has named three starting quarterbacks this season, and each move came with a vote of confidence from the coaching staff. Michigan stood by Warren after he threw two interceptions against Texas, then benched him a week later after he threw three picks against Arkansas State. Moore and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell stood by Orji, too, after he threw for 32 yards against USC and 86 against Minnesota. The one-dimensional offense became untenable once Michigan fell behind 14-0 at Washington, leaving Tuttle as the next man up.
With the Wolverines running out of options, Tuttle won’t have to worry about looking over his shoulder. He’s the starting quarterback, Moore said, and Michigan spent the past two weeks preparing accordingly. If the Washington game showed what Tuttle could do with only a few practices, Michigan hopes he’ll benefit from the extra time to prepare as the starter.
“Now, since I’ve been playing football forever, it’s just like the same to me,” Tuttle said. “Just be confident either way, prepare like the starter either way. Go in there and have poise. Be calm.”
Though he started only five games at Indiana, Tuttle brings something to the table that Michigan’s other quarterbacks didn’t have. He has played meaningful games in the Big Ten, and his poise under pressure could be an asset for an offense that’s made too many unforced errors.
Turnovers at the quarterback position have been a killer for the Wolverines, who rank No. 106 in the FBS in turnover margin. Nobody knows that better than Tuttle, which is why he was so hard on himself about the two fourth-quarter giveaways against Washington. The message from Moore was to let it go and embrace the chance for a fresh start.
“Nobody beats themselves up about a loss or anything that happens more than the players do,” Moore said. “It’s my job to make sure that they’re in a good mental headspace and continue to push forward. The turnovers are what they are and we have to eliminate them, but I wanted to make sure that he knew we were confident in him and what he could do.”
(Top photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
