Michigan's most explosive athlete bolts for transfer portal, seeking a fresh start after bad situation in 2024
The Michigan Wolverines continued their offense rebuild on Friday. After posting one of the worst offensive outputs of any team in college football this season, the Wolverines have spent time investing in the transfer portal to find better talent across the board to fix their offense. One of those players affected is quarterback Alex Orji, […]
The Michigan Wolverines continued their offense rebuild on Friday. After posting one of the worst offensive outputs of any team in college football this season, the Wolverines have spent time investing in the transfer portal to find better talent across the board to fix their offense.
One of those players affected is quarterback Alex Orji, who announced he would enter the transfer portal Friday morning.
With rumors of them adding a quarterback in the transfer portal and the imminent arrival of Bryce Underwood, there doesn't seem like there is a pathway for Orji to play at all for the Wolverines next season.
I'm sure that was likely by design for Michigan, which wants to move on from a dismal 2024 season. This season, Orji played in 10 games, completing 23 of 44 passes (52 percent) for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns with an interception. He also rushed 53 times for 260 yards and a touchdown.
However, Michigan now does not have a single quarterback with any experience on the roster. I'm sure plenty of fans are happy with that, but it could be a cautionary tale for next season.
It never felt like Michigan ever really believed in Orji this season. He lost the job out of the summer to Davis Warren, only started when Warren threw multiple interceptions in one game, and was then removed as a starter later in the season midway in their game against Washington. The offense was very constrained and asked very little of him as a passer and runner.
How can Michigan involve Alex Orji more in QB run game? Wolverines’ OC Kirk Campbell weighs in on Orji’s role
Not much needs to be said about the struggles of Michigan's offense this season. The offense has been disjointed (at best) in every game this season, they are on their second quarterback, and only one player has had more than 50 receiving yards in any game this year (Colston Loveland). Now the staff is behind […]
However, Orji still went 2-1 with wins over USC and Minnesota and a loss to Washington in his three games as a starter. He'll enter the transfer portal with two years of eligibility left.
I think Orji has the talent to be a really intriguing weapon for a team, but he's likely destined for a Group of Five program where he can rebuild his confidence. In the right scheme, I'd be interested to see what Orji's dual-threat ability could do when he has a coaching staff that builds an offense for him and lets his confidence grow.
