Michigan benched quarterback Alex Orji and used Jack Tuttle

The Michigan Wolverines had a lot of trouble figuring out their quarterback situation in Ann Arbor this year. And on Saturday against the Washington Huskies, they tried another option again. Michigan decided to bench and sit quarterback Alex Orji Jack Tuttle in the game in the second quarter.

At halftime, Washington currently leads Michigan 14-10. Before being benched, Orji completed three of seven passes for 15 yards. Michigan trailed Washington 14-0 in the second quarter, but ended the half with some impressive plays from its defense. Defensive lineman Mason Graham blocked a field goal attempt at the end of the first half, keeping the Wolverines within striking distance at 14-10 at halftime.

In the limited action he saw in the first half, Tuttle completed three of four passes for 26 yards. As a runner, he had two runs for 14 yards. Michigan’s offensive attack seemed to function much more effectively in the first half with Tuttle in the game.

According to Jason Avant, Orji handled the bench press well and hugged Jack Tuttle before entering the game. Tuttle has gotten limited reps for Michigan over the years, so Saturday isn’t his first taste of action for the maize and blue. In 2023, he completed 15 of 17 passes for 130 yards and threw a touchdown. As a runner, he had four runs for 35 yards.

Tuttle has career stats of 1,031 yards, six touchdowns, six interceptions and a 59.8% completion percentage in 21 games. He spent four years at Indiana before transferring to Michigan before the 2023 season. Tuttle also began his career in Utah before the Hoosiers.

As a member of the 2018 class, Tuttle was a four-star recruit out of San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that takes into account all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 25 overall prospect in the state, the No. 14 quarterback in the class and the No. 163 overall prospect in the class.

Nick Kosko from On3 also contributed to this article.