Stanford names Michigan transfer Davis Warren as starting quarterback

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Former Michigan quarterback Davis Warren has been named the starting quarterback for Stanford to begin the first season under new coach Tavita Pritchard.

Warren started nine games for Michigan in 2024 before sitting out last season recovering from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right knee. He joined the Cardinal after Pritchard was hired last December and won a competition to be the starter.

“The things that stick out to me about Davis are he absolutely just loves football and he loves preparing,” Pritchard said Tuesday. “He loves watching film. He loves kind of diving in the different situational aspects of the position and football. It’s one thing that’s just so refreshing as a coach because I’m a player who became a coach because I’m a football nerd. I’m a geek. I love it. So when and have players like that who are really in that space with you, it’s energizing.”

The Cardinal open the season on Aug. 29 at home against Hawaii.

Coming back from the knee injury was only the latest obstacle Warren has overcome in his young career. He was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia as a junior in high school in Los Angeles. He underwent four rounds of chemotherapy and recovered without the need for a bone marrow transplant.

He was recruited as a walk-on to Michigan in 2021 by former coach Jim Harbaugh and played briefly as a backup in 2022 and on the Wolverines’ championship team in 2023.

Warren won the starting job at Michigan in 2024 and had nine starts that season, helping the Wolverines end the season with upset wins over Ohio State and a bowl game against Alabama.

Warren completed 64.1% of his passes for 1,199 yards with seven TDs and nine interceptions that season. He tore his ACL in the ReliaQuest Bowl win against the Crimson Tide.

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