The Stanford Cardinal landed an experienced quarterback on their roster on Wednesday, securing a commitment from former Michigan Wolverines passer Davis Warren out of the transfer portal, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Because he sat out the 2025 season with a knee injury and is expected to receive a medical redshirt, Warren should still have two years of eligibility remaining.
Warren spent three seasons at Michigan, appearing in 17 career games for the Wolverines. In those three seasons, he completed 62.3% of his passes for 1,288 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He was part of the program's national championship team in 2023 as a backup and went on to start nine games during the 2024 season. That year, Warren finished 6–3 as a starter and threw for 1,199 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions.
The 2024 season at Michigan came with plenty of quarterback turnover after head coach Jim Harbaugh and JJ McCarthy moved on. Warren earned the starting job to open the year and later reclaimed it after Alex Orji and Jack Tuttle struggled. Over his final stretch as the starter, Warren threw five touchdown passes against three interceptions and was under center for wins over Ohio State and Alabama. His season ended in the ReliaQuest Bowl when he tore his right ACL in the third quarter against Alabama. He exited that game after completing nine of 12 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown, with Michigan leading 16–10.
Due to the ACL injury, Warren did not play during the 2025 season. Wolverines freshman Bryce Underwood started that year, completing 60.3% of his passes for 2,438 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions while leading Michigan to a 9–4 record. Warren entered the transfer portal following the season.
Stanford, meanwhile, is coming off a 4–8 campaign, its second season competing in the ACC. The Cardinal have not reached a bowl game since 2018, when they finished 9–4 under David Shaw. They also have not recorded a winning season since 2016. In November, Stanford hired Tavita Pritchard as head coach. A former Stanford quarterback from 2006 to 2009, Pritchard previously served as the Washington Commanders’ quarterbacks coach and replaces interim head coach Frank Reich.
Warren joins a quarterback room that includes redshirt freshman Elijah Brown, who started Stanford’s final six games of the 2025 season. Brown completed 58.3% of his passes for 829 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions during that stretch. In 2024, Warren earned a 71.8 offensive grade and a 70.6 passing grade from Pro Football Focus, well ahead of Brown’s 56.1 offensive and 55.8 passing grades in 2025.
Warren is the Cardinal's second transfer portal addition this cycle, joining redshirt junior offensive lineman Aidan Kilstrom from Harvard.
