Building off the success of 2023 for Sherrone Moore and Michigan football will not be an easy path. It has to rebuild in certain offensive areas that will be vital to continue how long they can remain as the hunted of the Big Ten conference and on the national stage. The most glaring hole is at quarterback with Alex Orji dubbed as the next man up. He's got a lot to prove whether or not he'll be a trusted source or a flame out with intense pressure surrounding him.
Here are three realistic expectations for Michigan's next presumed signal caller.
1. Orji can surpass 500 yards rushing
After witnessing what Orji can do with his legs in the spring game, this is not an unrealistic goal for him. He could compile even more based on broken-down plays and the run-oriented offense of Michigan football. It wouldn't be a surprise if he ended up being Michigan's second-leading rusher behind Donovan Edwards in 2024.
His rushing abilities might even remind some of Denard Robinson. He's not as fast, but he appears to have game-changing ability based on a little sampling. That's a broad statement to say now and can surely change once we get a better understanding of what he's capable of. There's no doubt at some point during the season that Michigan's offense will have to rely on his legs to get them through some crucial sequences.
Of course he won't be coddled by defenders like he was in the spring. Although another year of familiarity with Kirk Campbell should improve his management of the entire unit. Don't be surprised if they use him in ways like they did with McCarthy, because if it isn't broke, then don't fix it.
2. Orji should win at least 9 games
With Orji at the helm, Michigan football has the talent around him to win nine games for sure in 2024. That seems like the floor with Texas, Oregon, and Ohio State being the only games that they might be the underdogs in. That can obviously change, but that's what most of the experts are saying as we sit here today.
He gets a stern test out of the gates with anything but a pushover in Fresno State, then we'll see what Michigan football and Orji will be like in 2024 as the eyes of Texas come calling to the Big House in week two. USC enters the Big Ten a couple of weeks later and will be better defensively, but can they travel cross country and win in the champions' backyard?
https://t.co/5zk2N6RqRp@BCrawford247 Put together this list of QBs in the BIG10 and you have to ask how people like this show their face daily. He's literally ranked QB Alex Orji ahead of Aidan Chiles, Hudson Card, Kurtis Rourke, Ethan Garbers, Max Brosmer, and Cade McNamara.… pic.twitter.com/r6xCXdWMzC
— Rico Rico (@Ricoknowstiktok) May 7, 2024
On the road in Washington is no gimme, but going from Kalen DeBoer to Jedd Fisch seems like a letdown waiting to happen. Those collisions and the month of November, when favorites Oregon and Ohio State arrive, will be the time to decipher whether or not Michigan is a playoff team.
3. Orji compares more to Joe Milton then J.J. McCarthy
Orji is definitley built different then most college quarterbacks for his age. As we've seen in pictures, he is absolutely jacked. Milton wasn't ripped like that, but he does have a cannon and so does Orji. The only difference is we haven't seen Orji unleash it in college yet.
There are viral videos of him in high school throwing bombs down the field. Jim Harbaugh rarely asked him to throw it in a game and he had some trouble in the spring affair with intermediate to deep passes. Orji isn't known for his accuracy like McCarthy, but he has wheels like him and might be faster. He stands in the pocket like Milton and kind of strides like him but isn't a statue like him at times either. Milton was never really a dual threat like McCarthy. His career high in rushing yards was 300 at Tennessee.
To be honest he is comparable to both in ways, but if you had to choose one, I think most would say Milton. We just haven't seen enough of him to provide full judgement yet.