Alex Orji will be No. 18 Michigan’s starting quarterback for Saturday’s game against No. 11 USC, coach Sherrone Moore said Monday.
Orji is replacing senior Davis Warren, who started Michigan’s first three games but was benched in the second half of Saturday’s victory against Arkansas State after throwing his sixth interception of the season.
“Alex is the starting quarterback now,” Moore said.
Orji led a scoring drive after replacing Warren, capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass. He played sparingly in Michigan’s first two games, checking in for a snap or two at a time as a running threat. Orji was viewed as the frontrunner to win the job replacing J.J. McCarthy in the preseason, but Warren’s consistency in the passing game gave him the edge. Moore said he stood by the decision to name Warren the starter after camp and cited Warren’s interceptions as the reason for the change now.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Orji was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2022 from Sachse, Texas. He has attempted seven passes in three years at Michigan, and his downfield passing ability has been the biggest question about his game. He has 31 career rushes for 181 yards and three touchdowns.
The switch to Orji likely means Michigan will emphasize its running game with a heavy dose of QB runs alongside backs Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards.
“Say you’re a 6-foot DB, you’d probably want to tackle Davis Warren over Alex Orji,” safety Makari Paige said. “That’s the thing with him. You guys are going to see on Saturday what he brings.”
Orji’s first start will also be USC’s first Big Ten game. It’s slated for 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Michigan Stadium on CBS.
(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
