College Football Powerhouse Has Depressing Update For 'Ongoing' QB Battle

There are 18 days until the defending champion Michigan Wolverines take the field against Fresno State.

You would think that after going 15-0 and beating Washington in the national title game this past season, that all things would be peachy in Ann Arbor. However, the defending champs are looking a bit vulnerable heading into their title defense season. They led all schools in the 2024 NFL draft with 13 players drafted, which is a fantastic accomplishment.

On the flip side, it means they lost star quarterback JJ McCarthy, running back Blake Corum, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, and most importantly their entire offensive line. On top of this, head coach Jim Harbaugh bounced after the title and is now back at the NFL level coaching the Los Angeles Chargers.

Aside from dealing with all of these changes, the new head coach and former offensive coordinator, Sherrone Moore is also trying to keep the team's head on straight amid major off-field distractions centered around the Connor Stalions scandal and Harbaugh's recent show-cause penalty. Oh, and with their first game right around the corner, Moore's comments on Tuesday implied that they haven't found a replacement for McCarthy at quarterback yet.

The candidates are junior Alex Orji who is an elite athlete and someone that most view as the favorite, senior Davis Warren who has 14 career passing attempts, and journeyman Jack Tuttle who started his career at Utah in 2018 before transferring to Indiana and playing sparsely in four years prior to transferring to Michigan. Tuttle is the most experienced of the group with 1,031 career passing yards and six touchdowns and interceptions to his name, but based on Moore's comments no one has set themselves apart.

“They’ve all been really good,” Moore said about the quarterbacks per On3 . “They’ve had their days that one guy’s been good, one guy’s been really good, one guy’s been better — so not a frontrunner. Really kind of all on an even plane right now, and we’ll see when we go through this week, next week and then game week.”

While he did highlight that they have each had some bright moments, he did express that he doesn't know when he will make the final call on who will get the nod.

“No. Could be the week of, could be the day of the game. We’ll see," Moore said.

When asked about Tuttle's availability specifically as he was believed to be banged up, Moore complimented the former blue-chip recruit but assured the media the battle was "ongoing".

"Yeah, he’s been good,” Moore said of Tuttle. “He’s been good, but competition’s ongoing.”

However, he did at least provide Michigan fans with a glimmer of hope regarding whoever wins the job, as he expressed that they have all done well in their own right.

“But feel really good about that room," Moore said. "Feel really good, really confident. They’ve all made really good throws, they’ve all made plays with their legs, they’ve all done things to put themselves in a good position.”

Luckily for Michigan, they do return running back Donovan Edwards who is viewed as one of the best running backs in the country. The EA Sports College Football 25 cover athlete rushed for nearly 500 yards last season, with 104 of them coming against Washington in the title game as he averaged 17.3 yards per carry and racked up two scores.

Having an elite running back like Edwards can take the pressure off the quarterback, but whoever wins the job will need to hit the ground running. After their Week 1 game against Fresno State, the No. 9 Wolverines will be welcoming No. 4 Texas to town for a matchup on FOX's Big Noon Kickoff. It could either be a statement game for Michigan, or show just how rough of a season they could be poised to have.

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