Legends Under Center: A History of Michigan Wolverines Quarterbacks

The University of Michigan has a storied football program, rich with tradition and legendary players. Among those legends, the quarterbacks hold a special place, leading the Wolverines to countless victories and memorable moments. This article explores the history of Michigan quarterbacks, highlighting some of the most outstanding players who have donned the Maize and Blue.

Early Pioneers and the "Point-a-Minute" Era

In the early days of Michigan football, several quarterbacks laid the foundation for the program's success. Players like H. G. Forrest, who played for Princeton's 1893 national championship team before coaching at Auburn in 1894, contributed to the nascent era of the sport. J. J., who played on the famed "Point-a-Minute" teams, also left his mark. These early quarterbacks helped establish Michigan as a football powerhouse.

The Era of Dominance: All-Americans and National Champions

The early to mid-20th century saw Michigan quarterbacks achieve unprecedented success. Harry Newman, who started from 1930-1932, led Michigan to a 24-1-2 record. He led the 1932 team to a national title, earned unanimous first team All-American honors and won the Douglas Fairbanks Trophy, equivalent to today's Heisman Trophy. Newman not only played quarterback for Michigan, but some halfback as well. In fact, he played 437 of Michigan's 480 game minutes in 1932.

Other notable quarterbacks from this era include All-Americans like:

John W. (All-American 1932 and 1933).
Thomas H. (All-American, 1933).
David M. (All-American, 1942).
Bob Westfall (All-American, 1942).
Chalmers "Bump" Elliott (All-American, 1948 and 1949).

These players not only achieved individual accolades but also led Michigan to national championships and Rose Bowl victories.

The Schembechler Era: Toughness and Tradition

The arrival of Bo Schembechler as head coach in 1969 ushered in a new era of Michigan football, characterized by toughness, discipline, and a strong running game. While Schembechler's teams were known for their ground attack, several quarterbacks excelled under his leadership.

Dennis Franklin started at quarterback from 1972-1974, playing under Bo Schembechler. As the starting quarterback, Franklin led Michigan to three straight Big Ten titles, a record of 30-2-1 and three top-10 finishes. Franklin ran the option offense to perfection during his time at Michigan, and is said to have quarterbacked some of the best Michigan teams ever.

Rick Leach started for four years at quarterback under Bo Schembechler. He led Michigan to three straight Rose Bowls from 1977-1979. Leach's combination of throwing and rushing statistics are amazing. He threw for 4,284 yards in his career and rushed for 2,176 on the ground. Leach threw 48 touchdowns in his career and rushed for 34 more. Bo Schembechler once stated that Leach was the greatest football player he had ever been associated with.

Passing Records and Modern Offenses

As football evolved, so did the role of the quarterback at Michigan. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, quarterbacks began to put up impressive passing numbers, breaking records and leading high-powered offenses.

Jim Harbaugh started at Michigan from 1984-1986 and was the first ever Michigan quarterback to throw for 300 yards in a game. In his final year of 1986, Harbaugh earned All-American honors, finished third in Heisman voting and finished second in the country in passing efficiency. Harbaugh threw for a total of 5,449, which ranks fifth on the Michigan all-time list. He also rushed for nearly 500 yards in his career and scored 12 touchdowns on the ground. Perhaps he is best known for his guaranteed win over Ohio in 1986, in which he delivered.

Read also: History of the Block 'M'

Elvis Grbac was a three-year starter for Michigan. In those three years, he led Michigan to two Big Ten titles, which both resulted in Rose Bowl appearances. The Wolverines split the two appearances, both against Washington. Grbac finished his career at Michigan as the school's all-time leader in pass attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdowns, but eventually had the records broken by John Navarre, and then eventually, Chad Henne. Grbac is perhaps best known for his famous 4th-and-1 touchdown throw to Desmond Howard against Notre Dame in 1991.

Tom Brady was a backup in his first two seasons at Michigan, as Brian Griese narrowly beat him for the starting job in 1997. Brady then battled Drew Henson for the job and won it, starting every game in 1998 and 1999. In his first year as a starter in '98, Brady set Michigan records for most pass attempts and completions in a season. The Wolverines also shared the Big Ten title that year. The 1998 season was capped with a Citrus Bowl win over Arkansas. In Brady's last game, Michigan beat Alabama in the Orange Bowl in overtime as Brady threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns.

Robert Timberlake led Michigan to a Big Ten title, a Rose Bowl victory, earned first team All-American honors and finished fourth in Heisman voting. The thing that made Timberlake so great was the fact that he could basically do everything. Over his career at Michigan, he rushed for 315 yards, passed for 1,507, accounted for 19 touchdowns, kicked six field goals, 36 extra points and accounted for a total of 121 points scored.

John Navarre was a three-year starter for Michigan, starting from 2001-2003. In 2003, he led Michigan to a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl appearance against USC, arguably the best team in the country that year. By the time his career was over, Navarre basically held most of Michigan's all-time passing records. He still holds some of them, but Chad Henne broke a number of them a few years later. One of the biggest highlights of Navarre's career was when he orchestrated the biggest comeback in Michigan history, erasing a 21-point deficit to beat Minnesota in 2003.

Chad Henne was a four-year starter at Michigan, one of the amazing feats for a quarterback in Michigan history. He holds Michigan passing records for all-time passing yards and touchdowns thrown. In fact, his 87 career touchdown passes are second in Big Ten history. Henne led Michigan to a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl appearance as a true freshman. Fair or not, Henne may be remembered for his failure to win big games, as he went 0-4 against Ohio and 1-3 in bowl games.

Read also: Legacy of Fordham University

Recent Quarterback Competitions and Successes

The modern era of Michigan football has seen its share of quarterback battles and talented players vying for the starting job. Since 2015, head coach Jim Harbaugh and his successors have navigated these competitions, ultimately leading to success on the field.

2015: Jake Rudock

First-year head coach Jim Harbaugh picked up Iowa transfer Jake Rudock to start the 2015 season. He went on to finish the season with 3,017 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The man behind him, Wilton Speight, had just 25 attempts with one touchdown and one interception.

2016 and 2017: Wilton Speight and John O’Korn

While fans clamored for younger guys like Shane Morris or Dylan McCaffrey, the primary battle for the Wolverines at quarterback existed between John O’Korn and Wilton Speight in 2016. Speight won the job and threw for 2,538 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. O’Korn, on the other hand, had just 34 attempts and two touchdowns.

Speight won the job again in 2017, but went out with a season-ending injury early in the season against Purdue. He finished with 581 yards. The Wolverines had a tough time passing the ball after that. O’Korn finished with 973 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions. Brandon Peters also earned a lot of playing time that year, finishing with 672 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.

2018 and 2019: Shea Patterson and Dylan McCaffrey

It wasn’t until late August that Harbaugh named Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson as the starting quarterback. Patterson ended the season with more than 300 attempts, throwing for 2,600 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Behind him, McCaffrey was the only other quarterback that season to throw for touchdowns (2).

Patterson returned in 2019 with the starting job as his to lose. Still, McCaffrey had a lot of eyes on him as a younger, talented player. Patterson ultimately won the job and racked up 3,061 yards for 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. McCaffrey only ended up with 20 attempts and one touchdown by season’s end.

2020: Joe Milton and Cade McNamara

The pandemic led to a lot of changes in college football. McCaffrey opted out for the year, leaving Joe Milton and Cade McNamara to battle it out. Milton - who initially started at quarterback - was known for his cannon of an arm, but struggled with completing passes. At the end of the year, he finished with just four touchdowns and four interceptions. McNamara was definitely more reliable with the ball. While he only finished with 425 yards on the shortened season, he threw for five touchdowns and no interceptions.

2021 and 2022: Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy

McNamara wasn’t on the same level as J.J. McCarthy when it comes to overall potential, but he did enough in 2021 to earn the starting role. He helped the Wolverines earn their first Big Ten championship in nearly two decades and their first trip to the College Football Playoff. McNamara threw for 2,576 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. McCarthy threw for five touchdowns and two interceptions as a freshman setting up the battle in 2022.

Most people outside the program assumed McCarthy would do enough to win the starting job as a sophomore. Still, Harbaugh started McNamara in Week 1 and McCarthy in Week 2. The rest is history (albeit a bit dramatic). McNamara would eventually transfer after an injury and losing the starting job after Week 3, while McCarthy would go on to throw for 2,756 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions en route to the team’s second-straight Big Ten championship and CFP appearance.

2023: J.J. McCarthy

Finally, 2023. No quarterback battle. No worries. Just J.J. McCarthy. His talent and composure would help Michigan win its third straight Big Ten Championship, the Rose Bowl, and the ultimate prize, the National Championship. McCarthy finished his final season at Michigan with 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He did all that despite playing without his head coach in six games.

2024: Alex Orji, Jack Tuttle, and Davis Warren

After a relatively drama-free season at quarterback in 2023, the position was wide open in 2024. Alex Orji, Davis Warren and Jack Tuttle all competed to start. Orji’s athletic ability got people excited in the offseason, but it was Davis Warren who earned the first start. Unfortunately, it turned into a carousel of quarterbacks and one of the worst offenses Michigan had in years. Tuttle medically retired, while Orji was relatively ineffective overall.

The Future of Michigan Quarterbacks

As the Michigan Wolverines continue to compete at the highest level of college football, the quarterback position will remain a focal point. With talented recruits and experienced coaches, the future looks bright for Michigan quarterbacks. The program's commitment to developing quarterbacks ensures that the Wolverines will continue to have strong leadership under center for years to come. Each year, there’s always a focus on the quarterback room and debate among fans about which player should get the start. That is true again. While Bryce Underwood has a lot of favorable qualities, the Wolverines also have the experienced Mikey Keene on the roster. It also doesn’t hurt he has familiarity with Chip Lindsey. As we wait to see who gets the nod, here’s a look back on some of the quarterback competitions, or lack thereof.

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