Former Michigan quarterback Davis Warren had the toughest job any QB does: being the new starter after the team won a National Championship. The Wolverines were coming off a title in 2023, and J.J. McCarthy had just been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Vikings, and now Warren had the job of trying to build on Michigan's success.
It should also be noted that Warren was doing so without Jim Harbaugh, who left before spring ball even began, to take the head coaching position with the L.A. Chargers. So, Warren had a new head coach, a lot of new faces around him, and was expected to go out and follow up on Michigan's 2023 championship, and let's not forget dealing with the scandals, too.
Needless to say, Warren didn't fare well in 2024, when he was named the starter at the beginning of the season, was benched, and then became the starter again midway through the season. After dealing with an ACL tear, which he suffered in the ReliaQuest Bowl in 2024, Warren missed the entire 2025 season and then entered the transfer portal, landing at Stanford.
Now, a week before Stanford is set to take on Hawaii in Week 0, Warren was just named the starter for the Cardinals, according to On3's Pete Nakos.
Michigan transfer QB Davis Warren gets the starting quarterback nod for Stanford against Hawaii in Week 0https://t.co/yWKznxhDw3 https://t.co/3CPO7Pg1kR pic.twitter.com/9lf85hTrFh
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) August 19, 2026
Davis Warren could have struggle to see the field if he stayed at Michigan
Warren was out for the 2025 season due to the ACL tear, but take away the injury, it's hard to believe he would have seen the field much, if at all, that season. Not only did Michigan have Bryce Underwood coming in as the five-star No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2025, but also Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene, who brought a lot of experience to the Wolverines.
Keene was seriously being looked at as the starter for Michigan over Underwood, allowing the five-star freshman to gain some knowledge of college football from the bench and in garbage-time scenarios. Instead, Keene suffered an upper-body injury before spring practices, leading him to miss that time, and was limited in fall camp. At that point, Keene chose to redshirt last season before entering the transfer portal again.
That left Underwood as the starter for the Wolverines, which didn't go swimmingly, but it did give him the field experience he needed as he gets ready to lead the offense again in 2026. So, with two guys ahead of him, Davis would have probably struggled to see the field, and it most likely led him to enter the portal after last season.
Now at Stanford, Warren was able to win another starting job, giving him the opportunity to improve his career after that rough 2024 season. The outlook for Stanford football this season is not incredibly bright, but maybe Warren can help with that by elevating the offense.
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