Alex Orji is the ultimate X-factor for Michigan football

It’s hard to find a player to compare Alex Orji too. At least in the recent history of Michigan football but maybe the best is Joe Milton.

This has nothing to do with play styles. Milton is a rocket-armed quarterback who has now been drafted into the NFL, which is still a pretty amazing story.

The potential of Milton was obvious. Few quarterbacks can throw a football as hard or as far as he can. But it takes more than that to be a successful quarterback. Eventually, he learned those things but his time as the Michigan football starting quarterback left a lot to be desired.

That was the 2020 season. Michigan went just 2-4 and to be honest, Alex Orji gives me a similar boom-or-bust feeling. There’s a difference. The rest of the team is much better than in 2020 and that team had a lot more problems than talent, although there were some key opt-outs due to Covid-19.

Michigan football might have the best defense in college football next season. That certainly wasn’t the case in 2020 when it felt like everyone was hanging 40 on the Don Brown-coached Michigan defense.

Alex Orji has huge upside

Milton also proved to be more bust than boom that season. It doomed the Wolverines. Orji is similar in the sense that he’s never started a game. We haven’t seen him throw many passes and outside of some designed runs, we haven’t seen how he will handle himself in key game situations.

You never truly know about a player until he plays. But Orji could be a star. If he’s able to throw the ball accurately — arm strength isn’t an issue — and limit turnovers, Michigan’s offense could be dominant.

Orji is going to add a true dual-threat option. That’s if he wins the starting job but he has more upside, by far, than any quarterback capable of starting this season for U-M. He has been compared to Jalen Milroe and Will Johnson, the Wolverines five-star cornerback, has said it’s a fair comparison. He called Orji, “Exciting.”

Johnson also said Orji can “make the big throws.” That’s good news because if he can make them this season, Michigan football might be better than most people expect.

Most pundits expect an elite defense and a solid running game behind Donovan Edwards. The offensive line should be among the best in the Big Ten but if the quarterback position — the biggest question mark right now — isn’t a question mark at all, this team could easily contend for another national title.

That’s why Orji is the ultimate X-factor for Michigan football.

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