Source: U-M goes back to Warren as starting QB

Michigan will turn back to Davis Warren as the starting quarterback against Michigan State on Saturday, a source confirmed to ESPN.

Alex Orji is likely to see time in a change-of-pace role to highlight the quarterback run game, the source said.

Michigan is not expected to have cornerback Will Johnson against Michigan State, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Johnson left the Illinois game last week with a lower-body injury and had been considered questionable by coach Sherrone Moore this week.

Moore had said Monday that the team was waiting to see how practices went this week before making a decision on a starter.

“Taking care of the ball, that’s going to be the No. 1 priority, the biggest thing,” Moore said. “You want big plays, you want efficiency, but we have to take care of the football.”

Warren, a former walk-on, opened the season as the starting quarterback, but he was replaced by Orji following a three-interception performance against Arkansas State on Sept. 14.

Orji, primarily used as a running quarterback in 2023, struggled with his accuracy and had only 118 total passing yards in wins against USC and Minnesota before being replaced by Tuttle against Washington on Oct. 5.

Tuttle started for Michigan in its 21-7 loss to Illinois. He struggled with his accuracy early but finished with 209 passing yards, which was a season high for a Wolverines quarterback.

247 Sports first reported that Warren would start against the Spartans.

Information from ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg was used in this report.