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Chip Lindsey explains why Michigan added Jake Garcia to the QB room despite having Bryce Underwood, Mikey Keene

Originally posted on Michigan Wolverines on SI
By Trent Knoop | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 10:07 PM ET

It's no secret that the Michigan Wolverines were handcuffed on the offensive side of the ball last year due to their passing game. Not only did Michigan cycle through three starting QBs -- before deciding to go back to Game 1 starter Davis Warren -- but the Wolverines had the 131st-ranked passing attack.

To help prevent that, Michigan landed five-star Bryce Underwood and went out and grabbed veteran Mikey Keene from the transfer portal. But Michigan wasn't done there. After Keene was forced to miss spring ball due to an injury, the Wolverines went out and landed former top-100 prospect Jake Garcia from the portal.

With Keene's health in question this spring, it was Underwood and Jadyn Davis who got all the reps. But two QBs isn't the answer, so offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey thought adding a veteran like Garcia to the QB room adds another piece to the puzzle.

"I think we’re looking for some experience, and with Mikey not getting to participate in the spring, and hoping, we weren’t sure at the time, and I think just adding some pieces to the puzzle," Lindsey said on Saturday. "Davis (Warren) obviously being down for a while, now we’ve got some experience in that room that at least a couple guys that have played a lot. If not, then you were gonna be one less of that, and then if Mikey lingered or whatever, then you’d be in some trouble."

Last season, Michigan had Warren, Jack Tuttle, and Alex Orji all start for the Wolverines. Then-freshman Davis didn't see the field -- save for one snap against Northwestern -- and Jayden Denegal didn't play either. But with Lindsey in the fold, and after experiencing what Michigan saw last year, Lindsey reiterated that more arms are good to have for arguably the most important position on the field.

"It’s just when you go through spring with two guys and you start looking around, wow, that’s a lot of reps. We had to cut individual in the spring because too many throws and the reps and so forth," Lindsey said. "So just really building some depth, and not just depth from bodies, but quality depth, guys that maybe have played a little bit.

"Seeing our situation that we had at the moment with Jadyn and Bryce. Hey, we need a couple guys that have played. But at the same time, we want to take the right person too. There was some opportunity to take some guys earlier that we kind of passed on. But at the end of the day, I thought Jake was a great fit for us. And I didn’t really know him. I had recruited him a little bit a long time ago. But he’s been a great addition. He’s got a great attitude. He’s still learning, but a lot of fun to be around. He’s fit well in the room."

Michigan will take the field on August 30 against New Mexico in Ann Arbor.

This article first appeared on Michigan Wolverines on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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