Michigan Football: Davis Warren's incredible journey to QB1

Chris Breiler | Sep 1, 2024

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore talks to quarterback Davis Warren (16) at warmup during the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 20, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

As the Michigan fan base kept its eye on the quarterback battle in Ann Arbor during the off-season, there weren't many folks who thought that Davis Warren had a shot at winning the starting job. Entering the 2024 season, Warren's career numbers consisted of 5 completions on 14 attempts for 89 yards and 1 interception. But his growth and maturation during the off-season clearly paid off, and the senior QB was named the starter just days before Michigan took the field on Saturday night.

His first game as QB1 was a bit of a mixed bag. While he looked pretty accurate in the short to intermediate passing game, Warren struggled to connect on the a number of deep balls. There are certainly elements to his game that lead you to believe he can be successful as the starting QB at Michigan, but he will also need to make improvements quickly with Texas coming to town in Week 2. Following his first career start, Warren finished the evening completing 15-of-25 attempts for 118 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Not bad, but definitely plenty of room for improvement.

Aug 31, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Davis Warren (16) throws the ball against the Fresno State Bulldogs in the first half at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Meeting with the Media after Michigan's 30-10 win over Fresno State, Warren reflected on his decision to stick with the Wolverines and not explore opportunities elsewhere.

"What kept me here was this culture, this group. Obviously, Coach Harbaugh, he took a chance on me. I wasn’t a sure-fire guy with all the stars and all that. He took a chance on me and gave me the opportunity to come here, and I owe it to him and to this program and this university and these guys to be here. I never wavered, I never had any interest in leaving or going anywhere else. I wanted to be here."

Michigan quarterback Davis Warren (16) starts the game against Fresno State at Michigan Stadium at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

Warren's story is actually pretty incredible. In high school he battled and defeated leukemia. As a high school senior in 2020, Warren saw his football season canceled due to the COVID 19 pandemic. He then reclassified to the Class of 2021 after attending the Peddie School in New Jersey and ultimately landed a spot on Michigan's roster as a walk-on. Warren then spent three seasons in Ann Arbor battling his way through the depth chart while receiving limited action on fall Saturdays. Now, as a senior, he'll be the guy that Michigan relies on to help guide this offense through one of the most difficult regular season schedules in program history.

"I never wavered," Warren said after season-opener. "I never had any interest in leaving or going anywhere else. I wanted to be here. And obviously there's been some ups and down in the road, but it did feel really good tonight.

"I've thought about this day for a long time and envisioned it a lot."

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