The Michigan Wolverines have officially landed a commitment from quarterback transfer Jake Garcia.
Garcia, a 6’3, 203-pound senior QB, will be attending his fourth college. He most recently played for East Carolina after stints at Miami and Missouri.
While some may fear this is a sign that current Michigan QBs Bryce Underwood and Mikey Keene are not showing enough signs of promise for a passing offense that desperately needs to improve, this move may not be as earth-shattering as it seems.
It is important to note that Garcia was ECU’s starting QB for the first half of the 2024 season before losing the job to Katin Houser. Garcia finished the year with 1426 yards, eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a 33.8 QBR, while Houser led the team with 2006 yards, 18 TDs and 11 INTs with a 45.1 QBR. The Pirates went 3-3 with Garcia at the helm and 5-2 with Houser.
Instead of Garcia being billed as Michigan’s next savior, it is much more likely this is a move by Sherrone Moore to add more experienced depth to the QB room, especially with Keene dealing with an upper body injury.
In today’s NIL era, even a backup QB can demand a higher price tag in certain situations. A player like Garcia can either stay at ECU, where he will likely continue to sit behind Houser, or he can make a little extra money, get back to Power Four football, and help mentor one of the brightest young college QBs in Underwood.
Not a bad gig.
