The quarterback job is still up for grabs as Michigan No. 9 prepares to defend its title

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan coach Sherrone Moore has not yet decided who will start at quarterback when the defending national champions open their season at home against Fresno State.

The new head coach said he may delay that decision until game day on Saturday.

“We'll just see who trains better over the next few days and then we'll make a decision, whether on Friday or right before the game,” Moore said.

Alex Orji, a junior who was used as a relief quarterback last season, and Davis Warren, a senior and former preferred walk-on who Moore calls a “fighter,” are competing for the starting position for the Wolverines, who are ranked ninth in the rankings.

Orji and Warren saw little playing time last year while JJ McCarthy led Michigan to an undefeated season that ended with a 34-13 victory over Washington in the national championship. Orji appeared in six games and rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He did not attempt a pass.

Warren failed to complete a pass on five attempts last season. In 2022, he completed 5 of 9 attempts for 89 yards.

The duo split snaps during training camp. Orji was widely considered the favorite for the job before training camp, but Moore isn't surprised Warren stayed in the running.

“The kid is a fighter, so he knew he wasn't going to give the title to just anyone,” Moore said. “He earned the chance to fight for it. And that's exactly what he did.”

Aside from the quarterback duel, most of the drama of the training camp took place off the field.

Over the weekend, Michigan received the final version of a notice containing allegations from the NCAA related to an investigation into a personal scouting and sign-stealing operation conducted by a football employee. Michigan had previously received a draft of the notice, which included allegations of violations against former head coach Jim Harbaugh and Moore, among others.

A Netflix documentary about Connor Stalions, the former assistant at the center of the sign-stealing scandal, is scheduled to be released Tuesday.

Moore did not want to address these issues.

“You can write about it,” Moore said, referring to the media. “We're just worried about playing.”

Moore served as interim coach for four games last season while Harbaugh served two suspensions, including a 30-24 win over archrival Ohio State. Moore was named coach on Jan. 26 after Harbaugh left the team to coach the Los Angeles Chargers.

Moore says he is “not really” nervous as he begins his first official game as a coach.

“I'm excited and ready to go,” he said. “Ready to train, ready for the meetings.”

With a showdown against No. 4 Texas looming in the second week of the season, the Wolverines can't overlook the Bulldogs. Fresno State posted a 9-4 record last season, including a 37-10 win over New Mexico State in the New Mexico Bowl.

The Wolverines are currently ranked among Big Ten schools behind the Buckeyes (2nd), newcomer Oregon (3rd) and Penn State (8th).

“We've always had a target on our backs,” offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi said. “Now it's bigger than ever. We know what we have to do. We know what our job is. We know how big that target is. We're everybody's Super Bowl. We have to treat it the same way.”

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Dana Gauruder, The Associated Press