Michigan football has a quarterback problem, and Dave Portnoy is willing to pay big to fix it.
After winning the national championship with J.J. McCarthy under center last year, the Wolverines turned the reins over to Davis Warren – who threw six interceptions in three games before being benched for backup Alex Orji. Orji was able to muster up just 32 passing yards on 12 attempts vs. USC.
And despite UM winning that game 27-24, Michigan alumnus Portnoy has a plan to fix Michigan’s passing game moving forward.
‘Michigan, I will be your quarterback guy,’ he began on Barstool’s Pick Em podcast. ‘… I’ll talk to [head coach] Sherrone [Moore], ‘Who do you guys want, who’s in there, give me a group, I’ll go get them.”
Portnoy then say he’d pay ‘$1million, $2million, whatever it is’ in NIL money to before Dan ‘Big Cat’ Katz asked him the most he’d pay.
Michigan alumnus and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has a plan for their football team
Portnoy explained on the Barstool Pick Em podcast that he would pay up to $3million in NIL to fund the school getting a new quarterback
‘$3million,’ Portnoy shrugged.
The landscape of college sports has vastly shifted since players have been able to profit from their Name, Image and Likeness, with UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka deciding to sit the rest of the season over ‘commitments’ that were not upheld.
Sluka’s NIL rep, Equity Sports’ Marcus Cromartie, has since told ESPN that his client was promised at least $100,000 from a UNLV assistant coach before transferring there.
That money was never paid, according to Cromartie, who claims the school instead countered with a $3,000-per-month offer.
Alex Orji (above) has taken over the starting job for Michigan after Davis Warren was benched
Katz pointed out to Portnoy that $3million might not even be enough for certain players, as – for example – Texas’ Arch Manning’s NIL valuation is $3.1million according to On3.com.
Nonetheless, Portnoy is confident that his money could get Michigan a talented passer.
‘I can get a quarterback. We don’t have a quarterback… I’m gonna get us a top 10 quarterback in the [transfer] portal, coming out every year.’
For now, Orji will look to improve in his second start when Michigan face Minnesota on Saturday.