Michigan hosts transfer QB Jake Garcia to strengthen its depleted quarterback room

USA Today

15 hours ago

Michigan hosts transfer QB Jake Garcia to strengthen its depleted quarterback room
Michigan football wants to do as much as it can to ensure that it has as deep a quarterback room as possible. Of course, the top of the chain is high, with five-star and former No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood leading the charge, but the Wolverines also want to ensure that they have experience on the roster.
Earlier in the offseason, the maize and blue did get some experience, going out and getting Fresno State transfer quarterback Mikey Keene. But with an injury during spring ball, Michigan isn't holding fast with what it has. After all, Davis Warren will take some time to recover from a lower leg injury he sustained in the ReliaQuest Bowl, Alex Orji transferred out, and Jadyn Davis didn't appear ready to lead the team in the spring game.
The Wolverines hosted a transfer quarterback
According to 247Sports' Matt Zenitz, former East Carolina quarterback Jake Garcia was on campus this week, giving Michigan an opportunity to potentially add to a room that features Underwood, Keene, Warren (injured), Davis, and freshman Chase Herbstreit.
Garcia started his career at Miami before transferring to Missouri, where he didn't accumulate any stats. He was at ECU for two years, but lost his job midseason to former Michigan State quarterback Katin Houser.
Garcia as a recruit and college player
Part of the 2021 class, Garcia has never quite lived up to his recruiting ranking. A 6-foot-3, 195-pound quarterback as a recruit from Whittier (Calif.) Grayson, Garcia was a high-end QB in the class, ranked No. 48 overall according to the 247Sports Composite (he was No. 23 player according to ESPN) and the eighth-best quarterback in the cycle (by comparison, in the same class, J.J. McCarthy was No. 25 overall and the fifth-best quarterback).
Here are his stats per year:
2021 : 1 game, 11-for-14 (78.6%), 147 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT (Miami Hurricanes)
: 1 game, 11-for-14 (78.6%), 147 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT (Miami Hurricanes) 2022 : 8 games, 68-for-115 (59.1%), 803 yards, 5 TD, 4 INT (Miami Hurricanes)
: 8 games, 68-for-115 (59.1%), 803 yards, 5 TD, 4 INT (Miami Hurricanes) 2024: 6 games, 109-for-181 (60.2%), 1,426 yards, 8 TD, 12 INT (East Carolina Pirates)
Now entering his fifth year, Garcia does also have a daughter, so he has more consideration than simply following his dreams of achieving quarterback play at a high level.