Tag: Davis Warren

2024 Spring Football Preview: Quarterback

2023 Starter: J.J. McCarthy
Loss: McCarthy
Returning players: Jack Tuttle (7th), Davis Warren (RS Jr.), Jayden Denegal (RS So.), Alex Orji (RS So.)
Newcomer: Jadyn Davis (Fr.)
Projected starter: Tuttle

There are a lot of unknowns going into the 2024 season, but first among all of them is the quarterback position. Michigan got a great performance from McCarthy in 2023, who goes down in history as the program’s best college quarterback ever after going 27-1 as a starter and winning a national championship.

But as of right now, Michigan is heading into the season with its cloudiest quarterback situation since perhaps 2009, when freshman Tate Forcier beat out freshman Denard Robinson and 2008 part-time starter Nick Sheridan. Michigan has significantly more experience on its side at the position in 2024, considering Tuttle is a 7th year senior and there are no freshmen – sorry, Jadyn Davis – who truly seem to be in the mix to start.

The first guy to get reps should be Tuttle, who has been named a starter before – albeit at Indiana – and ascended to #2 on the depth chart in 2023, during his first year in Ann Arbor. He completed 15/17 passes for 130 yards and 1 touchdown, a whopping 88.7% completion percentage. And the #1 most impressive thing about him in the spring of 2023 was his willingness and ability to run. He’s a former top-100 recruit, even if he was coming out of high school back when Barack Obama was president (don’t look that up).

The sexy pick is 6’3″, 235 lb. Alex Orji, who was brought in as a quasi single-wing quarterback last year but who didn’t attempt a pass. He’s capable of throwing lasers, which can be seen on his high school film and from last year’s spring game, but it’s noteworthy that the coaching staff didn’t trust him to throw last year. To go from attempting zero passes to becoming a starter would be . . . well . . . the first time since 2009 that Michigan would entrust a quarterback to start who hadn’t attempted a single pass during the previous season.

Offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell says Jayden Denegal (4/5, 50 yards, 1 TD) is the most improved offensive player, but he was a guy who was very raw coming into the program in 2022. Walk-on Davis Warren has looked good at times, but he had a rough go in limited time last season (0/5, 1 INT). Meanwhile, freshman Jadyn Davis is an early enrollee who has a winning pedigree, but his limited size (6’0″, 202), lack of an amazing arm, and lack of difference-making athleticism make him more of a threat to start down the road when experience and knowledge of the offense put him a notch above the field. To play as a freshman, you typically need some athletic trait that sets you apart – size, speed, arm strength – and that’s not Davis’s game.

What should Michigan do at QB in 2024?

It was a very understandable move, but Michigan suffered a big blow on Sunday when incumbent starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy announced he would be entering the 2024 NFL Draft. McCarthy is a two-year starter who went 27-1 in that role and won a national championship. According to draft projections I’ve seen, he’s considered to be a potential 1st round pick and is thought to be anywhere from the #3 to the #6 quarterback in the class. He could come back in 2024 and potentially be the #1 quarterback on the board for the 2025 draft, but it looks like that won’t happen.

So where should Michigan turn for a quarterback in 2024?

JADYN DAVIS (6’0″, 202 lb. freshman)
2023 season stats (high school): 204/288, 3370 yards, 43 touchdowns, 9 interceptions
The argument: Davis, from Charlotte (NC) Providence Day, is a 4-star recruit, the #7 quarterback, and #93 overall in the class of 2024. Michigan recruited Davis hard and put most of their eggs in his basket during the cycle, so the coaching staff really likes him. While he’s ranked anywhere from #61 to #116 overall by three of the four main recruiting sites, the fourth – On3 – has him all the way down at #218. One thing that really helps true freshman quarterbacks be successful is some kind of physical advantage – speed, size, and/or a cannon for an arm – but Davis has none of the above. He’s more of a game manager in the mold of Cade McNamara, and while McNamara did eventually captain his team to a very successful season, it wasn’t until his third year on campus.

Hit the jump for more.

2023 Season Countdown: #70 Davis Warren

Name: Davis Warren
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 195 lbs.
High school: Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Position: Quarterback
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #16
Last year: I ranked Warren #64 and said he would be a backup quarterback (LINK). He completed 5/9 passes for 89 yards and ran 3 times for 30 yards.
TTB Rating: N/A

Warren came out of nowhere in 2022 to look like Michigan’s third-best quarterback, behind J.J. McCarthy and Cade McNamara. He looked better than Alan Bowman and Alex Orji in the spring game, and I don’t think much changed into the season. He ended up with more passing attempts (9) and games played (6) than Bowman (7 and 4, respectively) and Orji (3 and 1, respectively). And he looked pretty good doing it, averaging 9.9 yards per attempt and 10 yards per carry.

Those numbers won’t hold up in the long run, but it was a pretty good debut for a redshirt freshman walk-on. It’s also somewhat telling that Bowman transferred out and will likely be Oklahoma State’s starter this fall. So Michigan’s walk-on third-stringer is better than Oklahoma State’s starting quarterback.

And now is where you might be confused about why Warren is the fourth-highest quarterback on the countdown. Obviously, McCarthy is the top guy, and then I’m guessing Indiana transfer Jack Tuttle will be the primary backup. Then there’s Orji, who I think will be a bigger factor in 2023 as a running option to keep McCarthy healthy and fresh. Warren is a more traditional quarterback who isn’t much of a running option – despite averaging 10.0 yards per rush last season – so his value is more as a wholesale sub in case something happens to McCarthy and/or Tuttle, whereas Orji is somewhat of a one-trick pony. I think Warren could potentially be Michigan’s starter in 2024 if McCarthy leaves for the NFL and if Jadyn Davis isn’t ready to step on the field. But for now I think Warren is entrenched as the third or fourth QB this season.

Prediction: Backup quarterback

Thoughts on 2023 Spring Game

Okay, it’s time to put some thoughts about the spring game on paper.

QUARTERBACK: We know what J.J. McCarthy brings to the table, and Michigan was never going to let him factor into the run game, so whatever. This comes down to thoughts on the backups. After watching Michigan have a good 1-2 punch the past two years with McCarthy and Cade McNamara, there is a big question mark at the #2 quarterback spot in 2023. I thought redshirt sophomore Davis Warren once again outplayed the competition, which comes from Alex Orji and Indiana transfer Jack Tuttle. Tuttle had a couple decent throws and showed some decent athleticism on the run, but Warren is more accurate and probably a better decision maker, despite the fact that Tuttle is a sixth-year player. Orji has decent arm strength but leaves something to be desired when it comes to his timing and accuracy; running is the best part of his game, and he’s a change-up guy. I would put him at #4 on the depth chart.

Hit the jump for more.

2022 Season Countdown: #64 Davis Warren

Name: Davis Warren
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 195 lbs.
High school: Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Position: Quarterback
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #16
Last year: I ranked Warren #126 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

Warren was a true freshman walk-on last season, but he still managed to win Scout Team Player of the Week three times. Here’s what I said about him in last year’s countdown:

I think Michigan got a bit of a steal here with Warren, who has some good athleticism and a live arm. Of course, he’s in the same class as 5-star recruit J.J. McCarthy, but down the road, Warren could be a guy who factors into the depth chart if he continues to build his body and work on his mechanics (which can be inconsistent).

In the spring game back in April, Warren looked like the third best quarterback on the roster – better than former Texas Tech starter Alan Bowman and better than freshman 3-star Alex Orji. Warren completed 12/23 passes for 175 yards and looked like a scholarship quarterback. Will he retain that #3 role during the season? It remains to be seen. What we do know is that both Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy will play, and it’s likely that if something happened to either one, the other guy would just be the full-time quarterback. So it would take a couple injuries for Warren to see the field much, but I do think he should be the #3 quarterback.

Prediction: Backup quarterback