The Michigan football team is getting ready for their third straight trip to the College Football Playoff. The Wolverines will take on Alabama football in the Rose Bowl semifinal on New Year’s Day. One major challenge for Michigan will be stopping the arm and legs of Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe, and the Wolverines are working hard to prepare for the talented star.
Luckily for Michigan football, they have a backup QB that is a similar size as Jalen Milroe, and he is mobile. That backup QB is sophomore Alex Orji. Orji has come into games a couple different times recently, and he is a major threat with his legs. He has been a good tool for the Wolverines in terms of getting ready for Milroe’s rushing ability.
“(Alex Orji) is doing a great job on scout team; you know, that’s the closest player that we’ve got to (Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe),” Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant said, according to an article from Blue By Ninety. “I mean, probably identical — really identical. But he has done a really great job.”
Kenneth Grant also discussed the most Milroe-like QB that the defense has faced this season, and he brought up Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa. It sounds like Michigan has a similar defensive plan for Milroe.
“That quarterback from Maryland, Taulia — that’s pretty much (the type) of game that we’re looking to play,” Grant continued.
Tagovailoa gave the Wolverines maybe more trouble than any other QB that they faced this season, so they will need to be ready to go when it comes to stopping Milroe. Grant knows that it will be a challenge, but he knows what Michigan has to do to be successful.
“We’ve got to tackle (Milroe) like a running back,” Grant concluded. “I mean, he invites contact, for sure, so we just have to tackle him like we tackle everybody else.”
It’s certainly a luxury for Michigan to have a guy like Orji on the scout team that has so many similarities to Milroe. It sounds like it has been coming in handy during their prep. Don’t be surprised if you see Orji in the actual game as well. He has appeared in each of the last two games for the Wolverines, and he had a big run in the massive win against Ohio State.
The Rose Bowl game between Michigan and Alabama will take place at 5:00 ET on New Year’s Day. The game will be taking place in Pasadena, California, and it will be airing on ESPN. The Wolverines are currently favored by two points, and the winner of the game will head to the national championship to take on either Washington or Texas.
