Michigan Backup Quarterback Alex Orji Is Built Like A Boulder, Makes J.J. McCarthy Look Small

As Michigan football hopes to return to its third-straight College Football Playoff in 2023, rising junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be at the helm. Behind him on the depth chart, though, might be the most jacked signal-caller in college football— even more so than Jalen Milroe.

Alex Orji is built like a boulder.

Hailing from Sachse, Texas, Orji was a three-star recruit out of high school in the Class of 2022. He flipped his commitment from Virginia Tech chose Michigan over offers from Baylor, Houston, Kansas, Nebraska, Vanderbilt, Virginia and TCU, among others.

As a duel-threat guy, Orji was dominant both through the air and on the ground as a senior. His 2,064 passing yards and 23 touchdowns with just eight interceptions was impressive, but his 1,187 yards and 24 touchdowns rushing was even more so.

Although his path to playing time with Michigan may not be entirely clear, Orji continues to put in the work. And at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, the rising sophomore is hard to bring down.

That was abundantly clear when the Wolverines hosted UConn at the beginning of last season. Arm tackles simply do not cut it when Orji had the ball in his hands. He scored twice in his collegiate debut!

The second touchdown led to an obvious, but hilarious pun from RGII.

With Orji's freshman season behind him, the focus shifts toward year two. That means hitting it hard during the offseason.

As a senior in high school, Orji was benching 275 and squatting 550 with a 39-inch vertical. His gains have not stopped since arriving in Ann Arbor and he looks nothing like the prototypical quarterback.

Alex Orji is shredded.

McCarthy is the incumbent and former Indiana quarterback Jack Tuttle transferred to Michigan during the offseason, but Orji is more than ready when called upon. I, for one, wouldn't want to meet him in the B-gap!