Davis Warren wins Michigan QB battle: Former walk-on outplayed presumed starter Alex Orji in fall camp

The defending national champion Michigan Wolverines tab former walk-on Davis Warren to take over for JJ McCarthy

By Brandon Marcello  & Chris Hummer Aug 31, 2024 at 6:58 pm ET• 6 min read

No. 9 Michigan's two-man quarterback battle between Alex Orji and Davis Warren has ended in the most surprising of manners. 

Warren, a former walk-on, got the start against Fresno State on Saturday, rendering Orji to the second team. 

The burden is heavy as he replaces national champion and first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. Michigan has a massive showdown against No. 3 Texas in Week 2. Orji, who played last season in special run packages but has only completed one career pass, had been the consensus pick all offseason to win the job until poor recent play in fall camp, plus Warren surging on his own merit, tipped the scales. 

"If you know [Warren] on a personal level and what he's been through, that kid's a fighter," Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said recently of Warren. "So, you know, it was not just going to be given to anybody. They had to go earn it. And he's earned the opportunity to compete for it. And that's what he's been doing."