Thoughts on the Michigan football quarterback battle heading into Week 5

This weekend, for the Wolverines’ fifth game of the 2023 season, the Maize and Blue head to Lincoln, NE, for a bout against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Still, despite being nearly halfway through the year, the Michigan football quarterback battle for the QB2 role remains ongoing, with Indiana transfer Jack Tuttle leading the way for the time being. With the info that I have been able to gather, here are a few thoughts on where things stand right now. Will it be Tuttle, Jayden Denegal, Alex Orji, or Davis Warren when JJ McCarthy gets taken out this year? If you ask me, it depends on the context of the game.

NOTE: This piece reflects my opinions, not the views of the staff, etc.

Thoughts on the Michigan football quarterback battle heading into Week 5

Now, to get this out of the way, I am operating off of the assumption that Bowling Green was just a bad game for JJ McCarthy, making it a reasonable assumption that the Michigan football QB heads to the NFL after the 2023 season. It’s far too early to truly speculate about that just yet, but seeing as I am piecing together the current state of the Wolverines’ quarterback room, it’s a necessary assumption to make.

Now, with that said, here is my gut feeling about the Michigan football quarterback battle heading into Week 5 against Nebraska. Of course, JJ McCarthy is the starter; however, who comes in next may entirely depend on the context of the game and the score.

If JJ McCarthy comes out due to injury, it’s likely Jack Tuttle getting the call

Over the offseason, Jim Harbaugh needed a bona fide backup QB — he grabbed Jack Tuttle from Indiana, who has starting and backup experience in the Big Ten. According to Sherrone Moore, who met with the media yesterday, Tuttle appears to be pulling away even though no true decision has been made at QB2 just yet.

If JJ McCarthy — God forbid — goes down with an injury this fall, I suspect Jack Tuttle is getting the nod to lead the Wolverines.

If it’s a blowout, I suspect the staff will put the ball in someone else’s hands

Now, if the game is getting out of hand — just as we saw during Weeks 1-3 — and JJ McCarthy is pulled, I am not so sure that Tuttle is getting the call. Seeing as McCarthy is able to leave at the end of this season, and is currently being mocked as a top 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Michigan football may need a new starting QB next fall.

Sure, the Wolverines have Jadyn Davis coming in, but starting an 18-year-old true freshman at QB in this league, especially in year one of the 18-team Big Ten, is not an idea that anyone should be endorsing. Even JJ McCarthy, who was a better high school prospect than Davis and more college-ready out of high school, was clearly not ready to be QB1 back in 2021.

The Wolverines have options: Alex Orji and Jayden Denegal

The good news for Michigan football in all of this is that, behind JJ McCarthy and Jack Tuttle, the Wolverines have a pair of incredible sophomores: Jayden Denegal and Alex Orji.

One has to think that, in the back of Jim Harbaugh’s mind, he is thinking about who will start at QB in 2024 if JJ decides to leave. Denegal and Orji both have the tools to be fantastic quarterbacks for the Wolverines — in my opinion, Denegal has the frame and skill set that is ideal for Michigan’s offense. If the staff can hone in his talent, he could be a dangerous play-maker in the Maize and Blue down the road.

So, to put things briefly, while Jack Tuttle may technically win the Michigan football quarterback battle for the QB2 spot this fall, I would not be surprised if it’s Jayden Denegal or Alex Orji who gets the call in a blowout scenario in order to prep them for next year.

If the assumption is that JJ leaves after this year, it would not make much sense to play Tuttle — who is also leaving after the 2023 season — ahead of the team’s future quarterbacks if the opportunity presents itself. So far, we have seen all four backup QBs getting in-game work; in fact, Denegal currently leads the race when it comes to snap count.

Again, this is just my gut feeling, but it would make a lot of sense to see multiple backup quarterbacks depending on the scenario and could be a major reason why the Michigan football coaching staff has yet to name a true backup halfway through the year.

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