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Tom Brady, JJ McCarthy, Davis Warren. The only Michigan quarterbacks to beat Ohio State, Michigan State, and Alabama in the same season. Brady became the greatest quarterback of all time. McCarthy won a national championship and was a top 10 pick in the NFL draft. Warren overcame leukemia, wasn't drafted, achieved what Michigan fans would describe as one of the most memorable victories in the show's history, and won't end his career as Wolverine. But, if you've been paying attention, that might be the best thing that could have happened to him. Because for the first time, perhaps in his life, it seems that his football career might not end after college.
Thanks to his new destination and a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback who is teaching him the ropes It's spring 2019. Davis Warren is a sophomore in high school in Los Angeles preparing to transfer to Peddie School, a prep school in New Jersey. In March, Davis came home from a workout complaining of weakness, unable to complete his normal weightlifting routine. Hoping to find out he was just exhausted, his father Jeff took him to the hospital where tests revealed an abnormally high white blood cell count. Further tests diagnosed Warren with acute myeloid leukemia. Days later, Davis went from preparing to move across the country to preparing to start chemotherapy. She would have to undergo
four rounds of chemotherapy, each requiring a hospital stay of four to five weeks. But, once the plan was established, Warren set a timeline and marked a date on the calendar, October 4, 2019, the day he planned to return to the field. So, the 17-year-old spent the next five months in and out of the hospital, throwing passes with his father in the hospital garden whenever he found enough energy. She lost almost 40 pounds during that summer of treatment. But, six months later, Davis rang the bell at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. And on October 4th, he was on the field as quarterback for his third year. It's not that he instantly became himself again
. He only played in four games, and even had to miss one due to low platelet levels in his blood. But, free of leukemia, he was ready for an off-season of work to regain his physical condition and become a name that college coaches would have on their recruiting list. The problem was that his senior year of high school was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, Warren's high school career ended with only four video games to showcase his talent as a senior student. By the way, if you're enjoying this video, please press the " like" button. And if you want more college football stories like this, don't forget to subscribe to The Score.
Despite that adversity, there were some programs interested in his talent. He visited U Penn, Holy Cross and even received an offer from Fordham of FCS. But then, luck finally found him. Their quarterbacks coach had a connection with Michigan offensive analyst Steve Casula. After having the opportunity to watch Davis train and see his few videos, Casula took his story to head coach Jim Harbaugh. In the fall of Warren's senior year, Harbaugh called him and offered him a "preferred walk-on" spot with the Wolverines. And the decision to get engaged came in an instant. In 2021, Warren arrived in Ann Arbor to join a group of quarterbacks that included starter Cade McNamara, fourth-year transfer Alan Bowman, and valuable recruit J.J.
McCarthy. So it wasn't likely that he'd have any game action anytime soon. But he was simply happy to join a show with such a rich history and immediately accepted his role for Maize and Blue. As a freshman, he won the Offensive Practice Team Player of the Year award. For the next 2 years, he managed to play some games in closing roles. But as Michigan prepared for its national championship showdown against Washington in 2023, Warren played the role of Michael Penix Jr. in training to get his team ready. After the Wolverines won their first national championship in 26 years, Harbaugh left for the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers, J.J. McCarthy was selected tenth in the draft by the Minnesota
Vikings and Alan Bowman was transferred to Oklahoma State. With offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore taking over as head coach, Warren's path from being a "walk-on" to having a scholarship and being a potential starting quarterback for Michigan in 2024 began to look possible. His competition that spring was Alex Orji, a former three-star recruit who had attempted only one college pass. The other was Jack Tuttle, a trade player who barely played in Indiana, the worst team in the Big Ten. Despite outperforming both of them in the spring game, the outside attention was not on the longtime substitute. It was in Orji's raw potential and in Tuttle's seventh-grade experience. So
when Michigan announced Warren as the incumbent in the fall, it surprised everyone. His first college start was against Fresno State. It wasn't exactly an inspiring performance - 15 of 25 passes for 118 yards, one touchdown and one interception - but they managed a 30-10 victory. The following week, the third-ranked Texas Longhorns came to town in what was the most anticipated game of the non- conference schedule that season. At halftime, Warren had just 49 passing yards and one interception. The Wolverines were humiliated at the Big House 31-12. In a Week 3 victory over modest Arkansas State, Warren threw three more interceptions. And suddenly, the following week, he was back where he'd been for his first
three seasons: on the bench. With neither Tuttle nor Orji taking advantage of the opportunity to start, the Wolverines finished 2-2, effectively ending their chances of making the playoffs. They turned to Warren again to finish the year. But while Michigan had a forgettable season on the field, they landed the signing of the year off it, securing the commitment of the No. 1 quarterback and No. 1 overall draft pick in the class of 2025, Michigan native Bryce Underwood, who traded his commitment to LSU for a reported eight-figure NIL deal. With the Underwood signing announcement already made, the Wolverines still had one regular season game left to play.
The game. Michigan with a 6-5 record against Ohio State, ranked number two and with a 10-1 record. The Buckeyes, the eventual national champions, led by future NFL players such as Cardell Tate, Emeka Egbuka, Jeremiah Smith, TreVeyon Henderson, Quinn Ewers, Donovan Jackson, Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, and the list goes on, were favored by three touchdowns. This was their chance to get revenge on a Michigan team that had beaten them the last three years in a row And yet, somehow, the Michigan team led by Davis Warren pulled off the biggest upset in the history of the series. A 13-10 victory that, despite
Davis Warren's statistics of 62 yards per pass, 3.9 yards per attempt, zero touchdowns and two interceptions, fans will say made him a Michigan legend forever. After the euphoria of their stunning victory, the Wolverines would close out the season in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Alabama. It was a game that Warren helped the team win to secure their eighth victory, but in which he also had to retire early due to an injury that was later revealed to be a torn anterior cruciate ligament . Such a devastating injury occurring so late in the year meant that his next season would be in jeopardy. When freshman Bryce Underwood arrived on campus, Warren was away in rehab. That rehabilitation ruined his season, and he opted to take
a medical redshirt for his fifth year. Many would have expected this to be the last we'd hear of Davis Warren with the Wolverines, who are focused on their new star quarterback and their recent addition, four- star prospect Tommy Carr. The former non- scholarship player could return to the practice squad. But at the end of the season, Warren announced he would be entering the transfer portal, which meant Michigan fans would be saying goodbye to the Buckeyes' executioner. And the show he chose needed its own comeback. Stanford, once a contender under Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw, hadn't won more than four games per season since 2018. So, in November 2024, they brought back the quarterback who helped create those expectations: Andrew
Luck. The former first overall pick and four-time Pro Bowler returned as general manager, tasked with helping Stanford navigate a sport that had changed dramatically since he played there. A year later, he hired another former Cardinals quarterback, Tavita Pritchard, as head coach. Pritchard had spent the previous three seasons coaching quarterbacks for the Washington Commanders, including his work with Jayden Daniels. For Warren, this was an opportunity to learn from people who understood where he wanted to go. He chose Stanford because he wanted to develop himself. Something that is now easy to see was not happening in Michigan. With Underwood's problems continuing into his second season and
J.J.'s erratic gameplay. McCarthy in the NFL. In fact, he and Joe Milton are the only former Wolverines quarterbacks in the professional ranks. With Pritchard, quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren, and Luck, Warren believed he had found the people who could help him achieve it. What's special about Warren's opportunity with the Cardinals is that Luck's involvement goes beyond the famous former quarterback whose name helps recruit players. He helps Warren command the huddle, sharing how he studied video during his final season in the NFL and giving details to help a quarterback take control of an offense before the ball is put into play. And so far this season, we're seeing what can
happen when Warren has the confidence to pitch with conviction. He has more than doubled his passing production since his first season as a starter, despite playing behind a far less talented offensive line and a receiving corps that has the eighth- highest drop rate in the country. The Cardinals may be below.500, but their 4-4 start was their best record through eight games since 2019. And Warren has carried them in his wins, too. He had his first career 300-yard passing game in week zero against Hawaii. In the upset against Georgia Tech, he threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns. He then threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns, defeating NC State. In Michigan, his most memorable victory came on a day when he threw
for 62 yards. At Stanford, he is showing why there might be much more to his game than what he could tell us that afternoon. So, could Davis Warren become an NFL draft prospect? Stanford's record might turn off casual fans, but professional scouts are certainly watching. While Warren was undergoing chemotherapy, his doctor told him about another patient who had survived leukemia, returned to college football, and eventually made it to the NFL. At that time, Warren was just trying to get back to a high school basketball court. Now he plays for a former NFL quarterbacks coach, learns from Andrew Luck, and achieves the best performances of his career. He'll always have that afternoon in Columbus, but leaving Michigan gave him the
opportunity to discover how much football he still has left. And after everything that has interrupted his career, Davis Warren deserves the chance to find out. Thanks for watching the video. If you liked this video, press the subscribe button and turn on notifications. And don't forget to follow the scoreboard on all your social media.
