This week, Michigan quarterback Davis Warren will be in the national spotlight when his Wolverines take on the Texas Longhorns.
Where did Warren play high school football, and where did he begin his ascent on the football pantheon? Let’s take a closer look.
Davis Warren Battled Adversity To Finish High School Career
Warren played high school football at Peddie High School in New Jersey. He also was slated to play at Suffield Academy in Connecticut, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented him from playing any games there.
In truth, Warren’s high school career — and his journey to the collegiate ranks as a whole — was not typical.
Warren began his junior season as the starter for Peddie, but he was diagnosed with Leukemia midway through the year. He ended up playing in only four games that season — passing for 607 yards, six touchdowns, and just one interception while averaging almost 20 yards per completion.
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The impression Warren made was strong in his limited sample, but it would be a long time before he’d see the field again. His Leukemia treatment put his career on pause, and he underwent chemotherapy at a facility in Los Angeles.
It took time — at least five months of consistent treatment — but Warren eventually recovered from cancer, and he was able to turn his eyes back to the football field. The illness stole much of his high school career, but it also left him a chance to build back.
How Did Warren End Up at Michigan?
Because of his limited experience at the high school level, Warren didn’t build much recruiting sustained interest, and he ended up signing with the Michigan Wolverines as a walk-on in the 2021 cycle.
Warren maintained his redshirt in 2021 but impressed coaches early on as a member of the scout team. In 2022, Warren played sparingly but got his first action as a passer — completing five of nine passes for 89 yards. That action earned him his scholarship.
When Cade McNamara transferred to Iowa in 2023, Warren became one of the primary backups behind eventual first-round NFL Draft pick J.J. McCarthy, along with Alex Orji. In limited 2023 action, Warren did not complete a pass, but he maintained a place on the depth chart.
After Michigan won the National Championship in 2023, Warren and Orji battled for the starting quarterback job after McCarthy’s departure. Warren ultimately won the battle, and his first start for the team was a victory over Fresno State in Week 1.
In his first collegiate start, the redshirt junior QB completed 15 of 25 passes for 118 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
All things considered, Warren is still relatively early in his football career. He took an unorthodox path to this point, in large part due to circumstances that were beyond his control. But now, the Peddie product is the starting QB for a power conference team.
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