Michigan football rules out quarterback for opener vs. Fresno State

With less than two hours remaining before it kicks off the 2024 season against Fresno State (NBC, 7:34 p.m.) Michigan football has yet to name its starting quarterback; however it’s now clear who it will not be.

Jack Tuttle, the seventh-year graduate who backed up J.J. McCarthy last season, was listed as “out” on the Big Ten’s pregame availability report which is required to be released by all member institutions two hours prior to kickoff.

Tuttle is one of three Wolverines who was ruled out for the opener, which also includes safety Rod Moore who is rehabbing from a torn ACL he sustained in early spring practice and senior wide receiver Joe Taylor, a graduate of nearby Chelsea High School who’s out for an undisclosed reason.

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As for the Tuttle, the graduate quarterback was said to have been banged up in the spring, which is when he was part of a three-man quarterback competition that was whittled down to Alex Orji or Davis Warren. Tuttle, who’s made it known publicly he intends to coach in the future, has been said to be one of the more cerebral players in the room and is someone who had starting experience at the Big Ten level.

Tuttle is now in his second season in Ann Arbor and has spent the majority of his career backing up players who are currently rookies in the NFL: Michael Penix Jr. from his time at Indiana and of course, McCarthy, but even still is by far the most experienced player in the room.

The 6-foot-4, 211-pound product from San Marcos, Calif., has completed 119 of 199 pass attempts (59.9%) for 1,031 passing yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions. Though those numbers aren’t overwhelming, he was adequate in limited time last season before he went down with an injury. In his first year in Ann Arbor, Tuttle completed 15 of 17 passes (88.2%) for 130 yards and one touchdown.

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The rest of the quarterbacks on the roster have thrown a combined 20 passes.

“He’s been great,” Moore said during the offseason of Tuttle. “He’s been accurate. He’s been throwing it hard. Physical. Fast. And he looks good. Jack’s had the unfortunate favor of being behind Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy. He’s excited, to say the least. Watching him compete and we’re ready to see what happens.”

This means it will be either Orji or Warren under center, with the loser of that battle almost certainly serving as backup.