Michigan Football: Who Will be Starting Quarterback Week One?

We now have just under two weeks until Michigan Football takes the field against Fresno State under the lights in the Big House. The Wolverines will be attempting to defend their Big Ten and National Titles, and they appear to have the roster to do so.

Most preseason rankings of players have Michigan football with two top five players in the country, along with a plethora of other top 100 players. ESPN, for example, puts Mason Graham at #2 and Will Johnson at #4 in the nation, with three other Wolverines appearing in the top 100.

This is a squad with potentially 4+ first-round picks. They are more than capable of making another national title run. But Michigan's goals will all come down to one thing: the success of their quarterback. Sherrone Moore has not yet named a starting quarterback, and likely won't until after week one. The battle has been heavily contested between Alex Orji, Davis Warren, and Jack Tuttle.

Currently, it appears that Warren and Orji are standing out, as Tuttle has been battling injuries.

So who will take the first snap against Fresno State?

In my opinion, it will and should be Alex Orji. While Orji may not be the most polished passer, his ability as a runner should mesh perfectly with Michigan's run-heavy philosophy, and would add a new dimension to this offense. Davis Warren is likely a far better passer and will definitely see his share of opportunities Week 1, but the ceiling of this team is likely significantly higher with Orji at the helm.

With that, the floor is also going to be significantly lower. With how good Michigan's defense should be, the Wolverines cannot have a quarterback that turns the ball over. They need to take care of the ball and limit turnovers. And considering that Orji has struggled with accuracy, that could be a very real issue.

But at the end of the day, Orji is a nearly identical clone of Jalen Milroe. And if you can get him to perform at the level that Milroe was performing at, this is a national championship caliber squad. This is, in my opinion, a spot where the staff should take a bit of a gamble and see if Orji can improve as Milroe did.

When the Michigan football offense walks onto the field for the first time against Fresno State, I expect Alex Orji to be leading the offense. That does not at all mean that he will be the starter for the entire year, but his potential is just too high to sit him on the bench. Warren and Tuttle will get their opportunities to make their case, but I think that the staff will bet on Orji with his high ceiling. Go blue!