It may seem highly unlikely, but there is a scenario where Davis Warren is the starting quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines this fall. Warren's in a spot he has been for his whole life — the underdog.
Warren is a former walk-on who made his name known in the 2022 spring game. J.J. McCarthy missed the game because of a shoulder injury, so Warren got the start opposite of Cade McNamara.
In 2021, Warren was the scout team quarterback and even won the Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year. He had never seen a snap for the Wolverines entering the 2022 spring game, but he ended up throwing for 175 yards potentially thanks to his preparedness.
“If there’s one dude who’s in the film room with me every single time, it was Davis. He was with me every week during the game,” McNamara told MLive. “I think he’s very smart. I think him being able to play – like you mentioned, it has been three years — I think he played really well today. I’m proud of him. That’s my guy and I look forward to what he can do.”
This was the first game-like action Warren had seen in almost three full years. His senior year of high school was canceled because of COVID. The year before that, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He went from being an up-and-coming high school quarterback in Southern California, garnering interest from Ivy League schools, to being a cancer survivor who never had the opportunity to be a high school starter.
Fast forward to 2024, and Warren’s name is in the conversation to start for the Michigan Wolverines.
“Of course things that happened in my high school career didn’t go the way I wanted to, probably the exact opposite in a lot of ways,” Warren said in the summer of 2023. “My goals are still the same — be the starting quarterback here, play at a high level, hopefully lead this team to do great things and take it to the next level. I am very blessed with the opportunities that I have gotten since being at Michigan. I try not to forget that every single day.”
But more challenges now stand in the way. Jack Tuttle not only transferred in from Indiana, but he also took the backup role from him Warren last year. Tuttle it back for a seventh year in college to compete for the starting gig. Alex Orji also has massive upside, along with freakish athleticism. Finally, Jayden Denegal has taken a leap in the eyes of offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell, who recently compared him to Ben Roethlisberger. Not to mention, true freshman Jadyn Davis has been crowned by many as the future starter.
Early indications are Warren may be the odd man out, but he is certainly not completely out of the race. Head coach Sherrone Moore said earlier this spring that Warren has, “A little bit of a mix of all of (the quarterbacks in the room) as well. A little bit smaller in stature, but very cerebral with a good arm.”
Campbell also spoke back in February about what Warren brings to the table: “Just continual growth of understanding the offense. He probably does have the best understanding coming back in the room as far as what we’re trying to do, how we’re trying to accomplish it, especially in the throw game. He’s very committed to his craft. He spends a lot of time working on being better as a thrower with his footwork, his timing. And I just want to continue to see that development.”
Based on what we have heard from Warren throughout his career, I wouldn’t be surprised if he is the hardest-working player in the quarterback room. He has overcome so much to even be in this conversation — there is something about that kind of determination and no option-for-failure mindset that makes Warren extremely appealing option. On top of that, he knows the culture and offense better than anyone else at the position, as he’s entering his fourth year in the program, the longest-tenured of the bunch.
What it will come down to is if he has the talent appealing enough to overstep the guys expected to be in front of him. I don’t think anyone will surpass the raw capabilities Orji has, but could Warren have enough to keep himself in the conversation? How does the coaching staff view Warren’s experience in Ann Arbor to Tuttle’s seven total years of experience?
These will be the things that determine if Warren has a shot, but he’ll need to have a heck of a spring to actually position himself above the others and continue to defy the odds. I wouldn’t be one to completely count him out, considering all he’s been through in life to get to this point.
