Shout out to Science Olympiad! I help coach a team from West Michigan.

Regarding part 4, 'The Basketball Roster - Part 2', that sounds like myself or Coach Jackson wrote it. I had last year's team going to the Elite Eight.

We can’t afford another Denard at Nebraska injury, so read option can’t be our primary offense with only one read option QB. Time to push our chips in with Warren and run Orji as the Tebow change of pace.

The odds of Orgi staying healthy as a primary running threat in a run designed offense against the most difficult schedule Michigan may have ever had with a new OL is incredibly low. And if he does get injured, all the back ups are not running QBs. So then we would have to change our offense mid-season. All a logical recipe for disaster. Orgi is a sub-package QB who hopefully learns to throw well enough to become a great change of pass back up weapon. This is his realistic ceiling. 

I was surprised by the first segment's pessimism

Why does the MGoStaff want Orji to start so bad and why are they so sure about him as the starter? 

Is it just being enamored with his physical tools and thinking it would be cool if he was the guy, or do they really think that he's the best QB and best chance at winning.

I feel like i know the true answer, but it's different from what the answer is that is said. 

The amount of rationalization around Orji is stunning.  What coaching staff is going to build their entire offense around a capability that exists in 1 quarterback on your roster?  

I am waiting for Brian to chime in on the NCAA stuff. Has he yet? Or really anyone on the staff. Did I miss some writing on the NCAA cheeseburger findings? (and perhaps any implications they might have for future signgate findings?)

Good takes as always. Maybe I missed it, but no mention of Fred Moore on it? I thought he looked good minus a drop at the beginning I believe? But showed some speed and quickness that was encouraging! I think we could be ok at WR, barring injuries. 

Idk man, at this point going into the fall I'm going to be pretty skeptical that QB play will be anything other than just ok, and very possibly kind-of-bad. I hope I'm pleasantly surprised.

I just don't quite get the Orji love as a starting QB.  Maybe he figures it all out but he's entering his third year on campus and is going to be 21 midway through the season.  He's got some ability but if you switch the offense completely around to cater to his strengths (running, athleticism) then you're (a) limiting your upside elsewhere with the other QBs on the roster for this season, and (b) signalling that you should probably start recruiting QBs like him going forward because otherwise you're just going to be flipping around your offense in a year or two once he's not the starter and, I don't know, Davis is your preferred starter.  There's some overlap in terms of skillsets there but that's still a different style of QB (the Jalen Milroe-type guy who was a bruiser but could also throw decently if unrefined) versus what UM liked to get under Harbaugh (the JJ type who was really accurate as a passer and had enough athleticism to be a weapon with the ball in his hands).  OSU under Urban Meyer made the decision to go away from the JT types to the Haskins/Stroud types and didn't look back, and thats the type of buy-in Moore would similarly need to make.  He may very well do so, but that's the choice you'd need to make.

Also, the Rich Rod offense we all remember isn't really the one you'd love to run in 2024 football IMO.  He runs it at places like Jax St. because it works with the talent he's got available to him and the relative competition (the CUSA is pretty mediocre outside of Liberty, which is itself sort of a mediocre program that just outspends the other schools).  But there was an article I read a couple years ago where they asked coaches what part of "dual threat" they liked more in their QBs and all said arm talent and accuracy.  Most guys can move enough now that they aren't John Navarre types back there, and you can scheme a couple of runs a game for QBs if you need them.  But guys like Milroe, Daniels, Lamar Jackson in the NFL as well as college, etc. work because they are decent passers and can make teams pay even when they don't bite on the run, and I'm not seeing that with Orji yet.  Warren is closer to that type of QB, and if the rumors about his injuries last year are true then he's the better option, along with Tuttle, for this season with Orji coming in as a package asset until/if he becomes a more complete passer.

As for the basketball roster discussion, I'm not sold they're a top-4 in the conference type of team but they have a floor that is .500 in the conference and a bubble contender.  That's a reasonable expectation given the fact we're still talking about a lot of transfers and most of the guys needing to learn a new offensive and defensive system.  

I have never been a believer in Orji as QB1 and have been shocked at Brian/Seth being comfortable with that.  I feel even more strongly after the spring game.  Orji has a long way to go in order to be "competent" as a passer.  I think the plan should be a Tebow-style part time guy with Tuttle/Warren/Portal as the primary.  Some supporting thoughts....

• How many programs in the top-25 are running QB-run as their focus these days?  
• We can talk about "the RichRod offense" on this podcast....but who on this staff knows those tricks?  
• Who on this staff is comfortable learning, teaching, and using those tricks as the primary strategy?  
• What happens when (not if) Orji gets dinged up?
• Are we sure Orji is really as dynamic a runner as we're suggesting?  I see a good runner....I don't see Denard.  I see power and change of pace, not dynamic elusiveness.  
• Would we rather the program spend all off-season learning a QB-Read Option offense....or teaching Orji better passing mechanics and reads?  

I think we're in a bit of a bind because Tuttle/Warren project as nice back-ups while Orji projects as a change-of-pace guy.  Barring a portal add, I think they're going to go with the Cade offense 65% of the time and the Tebow offense the rest as a change of pace.

No love for Fred Moore? Definitely looked like a guy who can do some real things. 

Go Blue!

Surprised Seth missed it. Dusty is only recruiting lefties.  I think that's five now.

Woah woah woah according to Brian the people on this site who want a QB transfer are “slightly racist”?

I think negativity around QB relates a bit to our recent levels of success. It will be a step down no matter what, and thus people come across as a little less than optimistic. I think it's natural.

I feel like a "game manager" qb like Tuttle can get us back into the playoffs while Orji seems like the kind of qb that could toss 3 back breaking interception in a crucial game. Nobody is saying that Orji can't play significant minutes just that he isn't the starter.