A career record of 27-1. 6,226 career passing yards. 49 touchdowns. A 67 percent completion percentage. And one national championship. That is what Michigan football has to replace with the departure of JJ McCarthy to the National Football League. And that's on top of a completely new defensive staff and a new head coach.
Donovan Edwards, Colston Loveland, and Semaj Morgan all return but the key question that must be answered before anyone can have a real handle on the ceiling for this program in 2024 is who will be running this offense. Here is a look at some of the key players who will be vying to fill in for the departed JJ McCarthy next year.
Alex Orji
Height: 6-3
Weight: 236
Orji is probably the best-known rostered quarterback for Michigan because of his playing time the past few seasons (not to mention RGIII giving us one of the best announcing moments in recent memory after one of Orji's touchdowns).
This season as a sophomore he saw action in six games for Michigan football, rushing 15 times for 86 yards and one touchdown. There were several observations about the unique packages that Harbaugh installed for Orji and how athletic and physically gifted he is.
There are still honest questions about how well and consistently he can throw the football, but with the talent base that Alex Orji has and the team's push to get him on the field in some capacity demonstrate that he is someone the staff thinks is going to be able to contribute significantly next year.
Davis Warren
Height: 6-3
Weight: 236
As a Junior last year Warren appeared in three games, and in those games, he attempted five passes and had two rushes. As a Sophomore in 2022, he appeared in five games, completing 5 passes for 89 yards.
Davis, who was formerly a walk-on for Michigan football after dealing with some health issues in high school, but Warren earned a scholarship for his play on the field. Yet, he was injured for part of last year which limited his ability to get into games but he had the important job of acting as Michael Penix, Jr. for the scout team in preparation for the National Championship.
While it may not be a barometer of Warren's abilities in 2024 and beyond, the fact that the staff believed his game matched closest to that of Penix should give fans some idea of what role he could play for the Michigan football team in the future.
Jayden Denegal
Height: 6-5
Weight: 235
Last year Denegal was a Sophomore and completed four passes with one touchdown, a very nice pass to Peyton O'Leary in the Nebraska game.
New offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell had very positive things to say about Denegal's game, calling him one of the most improved players on the team and even comparing him to Ben Roethlisberger.
That's very high praise from a man who has very intimate knowledge of the position and the talent there.
Jadyn Davis
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
Rick Leach, Chad Henne, and Tate Forcier. That is the total and complete list of freshmen to start at the quarterback position for the Wolverines in the entirety of their history. And of those, Henne is the only one to have success doing so.
It's a daunting task for any freshman to start and play well at the college level, but if anyone can do it, it's likely Davis can. He stepped right in this winter, ready, willing, and able to be coached and attend practices. He has the talent, arm strength, and mobility within the pocket to be an impact player.
Time will certainly tell for Jadyn Davis but his progress and game-ready status will be at the forefront of all Wolverines' fans attention during the long, tortious wait until next fall.