Michigan QB Alex Orji Plans to Enter CFB Transfer Portal After 2024 Season

University of Michigan quarterback Alex Orji is preparing to weigh his options after the 2024 college football season.

Orji told On3.com's Hayes Fawcett that he plans on entering the transfer portal after spending the past three seasons with the Wolverines.

While Orji was unable to secure the starting quarterback job at Michigan this season, he still has two more years of eligibility remaining and a chance to become the starter elsewhere.

Orji, 21, played sparingly over his first two seasons at Michigan, attempting only one pass and rushing for 123 yards and three touchdowns in limited appearances.

While he served in a backup capacity for the Wolverines' undefeated, national championship-winning team in 2023, he was considered a strong candidate to win the starting quarterback job for the 2024 campaign.

J.J. McCarthy left Michigan to become a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, leaving a huge vacancy under center.

Orji's dual-threat ability made him an intriguing option to replace McCarthy, but he lost out to Davis Warren in the position battle.

Despite starting the season as a backup, Orji eventually was given the opportunity to start, and he went 2-1 in three starts before Warren was eventually inserted back into the starting lineup.

Overall, Orji appeared in 10 games this season, as head coach Sherrone Moore often used him in short-yardage and goal-line situations even when he didn't start.

Orji ended up going 23-of-44 as a passer for 148 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, plus he rushed 53 times for 260 yards and a score.

The lack of opportunities given to Orji as a passer this season made it clear that Michigan's coaching staff didn't necessarily believe in that part of his game, and the writing was on the wall regarding his future when the Wolverines recently landed 247Sports' No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class in quarterback Bryce Underwood.

Orji was not a highly touted prospect coming out of Sachse High School in Texas with 247Sports rating him as a 3-star prospect and the No. 493 overall player in his class.

Still, Orji seems to have some untapped potential, and if he lands in the right situation with the right coach, there is still a chance he could be an effective starting quarterback at the FBS level.