ANN ARBOR, Michigan – Three games into the season, and Michigan still has big question marks at quarterback.

Davis Warren, the team’s starter in preseason practice, threw six interceptions in the Wolverines’ rocky 2-1 start – capped by a three-interception Saturday against Arkansas State, a game in which Warren was benched midway through the third quarter.

Michigan finished the game with backup Alex Orji at center, leading the charge in a run-heavy, one-dimensional offense. After the game, head coach Sherrone Moore seemed to indicate in practice that the position will be filled again this week, paving the way for a change this Saturday against No. 11 USC (3:30 p.m., CBS).

“We’re just going to get to work,” Moore said. “We’re going to get better. Just like we did last week in the running game, we’re going to get better in the passing game and we’re going to continue to push forward.”

Michigan hasn’t made a drastic change at the quarterback position since the second game of the 2022 season, when a practice battle between JJ McCarthy and last year’s starter, Cade McNamara, spilled over into the regular season. McCarthy was able to convince the coaches and permanently secure the job in Week 3, paving the way for a couple of historic seasons on the field for Michigan, but one could argue that both quarterbacks were much better than the ones the Wolverines have now.

Either way, Orji and his 6-foot-3, 235-pound frame would mean a change in Michigan’s future style of play: from the traditional play-action passing game with Warren to a more ground-based option offense under Orji. In its 17 snaps on the field, Michigan threw the ball just four times (2-4, 12 yards, TD) and ran it 13 times, either with Orji himself (three carries, 27 yards), a direct handoff or some sort of pitch.

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“Whoever the coaches draft, we’re going to take that guy,” said offensive lineman Josh Priebe. “He’s our teammate, he’s our brother. Anything can happen and sometimes not all of the picks are Davis’s.

“I know the statistics reflect what happened, but we will support him or anyone else our coaches put on the field.”

In fact, in his 12 career appearances at Michigan, Orji has completed just 4 of 7 throws while completing 31 carries for 181 yards and three touchdowns. He puts opposing teams in a dilemma at the line of scrimmage, forcing them to consider the quarterback. That wasn’t necessarily the case with Warren, who finished Saturday’s game 11 of 14 passing for 122 yards (yes, all three incomplete passes resulted in interceptions).

Meanwhile, Michigan returned to its roots against Arkansas State, rushing for 301 yards and three touchdowns in the win, relying on a healthy mix of Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards. Mullings had a career game, turning 15 carries into 153 yards and two touchdowns, while Edwards (17 carries, 82 yards) came from neutral.

“We support every quarterback because we know how hard they work,” Edwards said. “We have a healthy dynamic on the team. Several guys – Dave, Orji, (Denegal), Jadyn Davis – can all do similar things. It’s very good to have that on our team.”

Maybe, but it’s not ideal for Michigan to be in a quarterback tie ahead of Big Ten play, where the level of competition is expected to rise again. The Wolverines are currently trailing by 6 1/2 points against USC on Saturday, a situation Texas knew just two weeks ago when the Longhorns stepped up and won fairly easily, 31-12.

Michigan will likely have both quarterbacks in first-team practice this week, a process that has been repeated for months since spring practice began in March.

Warren, whose story as a cancer survivor has made headlines in recent weeks, only learned he had gotten the job a week before the first game. Now his time as a starter could be coming to an end. Whatever happens, the Michigan players don’t seem to be fazed by it.

“I mean, I don’t see any difference,” said receiver Fred Moore. “I’m just out there doing my job and doing my job. I stand behind whoever the coaches put out there.”

“We’re going to keep throwing the ball like we always have and we’re going to keep doing a good job.”

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