A major update on the Michigan football quarterback situation

Today, following the Wolverines’ 35-7 win over the UNLV Rebels last weekend, head coach Jim Harbaugh and others addressed the media. While JJ McCarthy remains the starting Michigan football quarterback (obviously), the Maize and Blue are still without a true backup quarterback — today, we got an update on that, including that sophomores Jayden Denegal and Alex Orji are going to be seeing a lot more reps.

Jim Harbaugh gives major update on Michigan football quarterback battle

The Michigan football quarterback room appears to be loaded right now, yet the Wolverines are yet to name a backup quarterback behind QB1 JJ McCarthy. So far, three backups have gotten reps — Jack Tuttle, Davis Warren, and Jayden Denegal. That said, Denegal has been limited, and Alex Orji is yet to see the field as a quarterback this year, which is something that Jim Harbaugh says is bound to change.

“The (position battle) we’re still evaluating is the backup quarterback, and we made a mistake (against UNLV). Coach Hart put in Davis Warren ahead of (Jayden Denegal). This week you’ll see — it’ll be JJ (McCarthy) — if we go to a backup quarterback, it’ll be Jayden Denegal and Alex Orji. So, want to get that — want to get all those guys looked at in-game action. You know, hopefully, in this next game, but if not, it’ll have to carry into the next one.

“You know that situation (a backup QB coming in) — you know, I mean, we practiced it, we planned it, we practiced it, and then we gotta go execute it. And two great things were the way Jaden Denegal handled it. I mean, his poise and that situation, I could see it on TV. JJ was talking to him, and then right after the game, Mike Hart, (I) was really proud of him. He took responsibility and, you know, just a great learning lesson. You know? Coaches, we got to hold ourselves accountable to the same thing. … But yeah, where it stands right now, we’re still still ‘to be determined.'”

Jayden Denegal and Alex Orji are next up in place of JJ McCarthy right now

Jayden Denegal and Alex Orji have been getting quite a bit of offseason hype from within the football building in Ann Arbor. This weekend, if Michigan football can handle its business — just as it has over the past two weekends — expect to see the Wolverines throw Jayden Denegal and Alex Orji in at quarterback in place of JJ McCarthy. If either of them shines, one of the sophomores could be Michigan’s new backup quarterback and potentially a contender for QB1 in 2024.

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