Maybe that’s what you call overprotection. We all know that the 2024 season has been too tough for the Michigan Wolverines. An 8-5 after a 15-0 in 2023 was a big blow. And guess which of their room suffered the most last season? It’s the quarterbacks. Now that Sherrone Moore has landed the No.1 quarterback prospect, Bryce Underwood, after a hefty transfer of $12 million, the head coach cannot afford any mess-up.
“The focus is on [Bryce] Underwood, but it should be on finding new backs to go with him,” an analyst reminded. So, Moore kept on hoarding quarterbacks. They already landed Underwood, Chase Herbstreit, and Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene. At the same time, two of their quarterbacks, Jadyn Davis and Davis Warren, are returning. But maybe that was not enough for Moore. He kept the door open for their fifth quarterback option – ECU transfer Jake Garcia. This would mark his fourth stop. The former top-50 overall recruit began his career at Miami. Between Miami and ECU, he spent a year at Missouri. And Moore got lucky with Garcia choosing Ann Arbor as his fifth stop.
On June 16, TheWolverine.com tweeted, “BREAKING: East Carolina QB transfer Jake Garcia has signed with Michigan.” Having spent two years in Miami and one year each in Missouri and East Carolina, Moore’s new quarterback has one year of eligibility remaining. Not just college. Garcia’s high school experience is also decorated with multiple chapters. He started at Narbonne High (Calif.) prior to transferring to Grayson High (Ga.) because California canceled the 2020 high school season. To kickstart his collegiate career, he was originally committed to USC but wound up at Miami, signing in December 2020.
BREAKING: East Carolina QB transfer Jake Garcia has signed with Michigan
He’s started seven career games and is headed to his fourth school in five years.
Story: https://t.co/BrLmEc32Me pic.twitter.com/4kRYPONiY3
— TheWolverine.com (@TheWolverineOn3) June 16, 2025
He played a significant role in Miami in 2022. He appeared in eight contests, and his lone start came in a 14-12 four-overtime victory over Virginia. The turnaround moment? He threw for 125 yards, going 15-of-31 through the air, in that win. In two years, Garcia racked up 950 yards in Miami. Unfortunately, in his next chapter at Missouri, Moore’s newly appointed quarterback did not see any action. However, 2024 gifted him with another bigger role. Beating out Michigan State transfer Katin Houser, he landed the starting job at East Carolina. But again, he got struck with bad luck.
He opened the first six games before being benched, and Houser took over. During his ECU chapter, Garcia connected on 60.2 percent of his passes (109-of-181) and came up with 1,426 yards and 8 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. Now that Moore adds another arm to its quarterback room, how will the quarterback battle look in Ann Arbor?
Can Jake Garcia help Sherrone Moore turn the page on last season’s QB drama?
Chris Balas said, “Bryce Underwood, from practice one to practice 15, and what he brings to the table in terms of physical skills, is like nothing anybody’s ever seen here before.” Now you know why Moore is concerned about keeping Underwood unharmed. With Garcia in the town, he brings with him some stability. As Gerald V Dixon had already highlighted how the ceiling is low for Underwood’s protector. “Protecting him in the understanding of you don’t have to be Superman.”
In this scenario, Garcia ticks off all the boxes that Moore must be looking for. A seasoned player who can provide depth, mentorship, and readiness in case of injury or inconsistency. Now, why can’t the Michigan head coach count on the other options? The 2024 starter, Warren, continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered in the ReliaQuest Bowl. On the other hand, Keene missed all of spring practice due to a shoulder injury. Coming back to the quarterback battle. Neither of the two healthy scholarship quarterbacks, Underwood or Davis, has attempted a pass in college.
So, Moore, any day will be more comfortable entering the season with another signal-caller who has at least taken sufficient live reps. Michigan isn’t rushing to crown the five-star freshman as the Week 1 starter against New Mexico. Talking to sources close to the Michigan program, it appears that the thought is for Keene to begin the season as the starter for the Wolverines. From there, Underwood is expected to take over at some point as the starter. The biggest question remains: WHEN? In that case, Garcia is a proven insurance policy that Moore can bank on. With all this prep work, can Moore finally leave the 2024 quarterback chaos in the rearview?
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