Doctor’s Orders: Scouting Stanford’s new quarterback Davis Warren

As Miami prepares for its season opener against Stanford, it looks increasingly likely that former Michigan quarterback Davis Warren will be the signal caller for the Cardinal, giving Miami a veteran quarterback with Power Four experience to stop in its first game of the season. Warren spent four seasons at Michigan, where he went from walk-on to scholarship player and eventually became the Wolverines’ starter in 2024. That season, he completed 64.1% of his passes for 1,199 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. Then came the injury—and Bryce Underwood. Warren suffered a torn ACL during Michigan’s ReliaQuest Bowl victory over Alabama and missed the entire 2025 season. He transferred to Stanford in January, looking for a fresh start and an opportunity to lead a program under new head coach Tavita Pritchard. From a Miami perspective, there are some obvious things to watch. First, Warren has been extremely turnover-prone, which bodes well for Miami’s talented secondary. Across his collegiate career, he has thrown 10 interceptions as opposed to seven touchdown passes, including a 7-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio during his 2024 season as Michigan’s starter. Second, Warren isn’t a quarterback Miami has to spend a tremendous amount of time worrying about as a runner. His career rushing average is just 0.2 yards per attempt, so the primary threat is going to come through the air rather than designed quarterback runs or scrambling. But Warren has a key intangible. He’s a relentless survivor, and he brings that approach to his game. When Warren was 17, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. He battled through the disease and continued pursuing his football career. Warren has already faced circumstances far greater than anything a football field can present, and he has repeatedly shown the ability to fight through adversity. That mentality is worth remembering when Miami takes the field. I also expect this version of Stanford to approach Miami very differently than last year’s Cardinal team did. Stanford struggled to generate much offensively against Miami in 2025, finishing with just 144 total yards and 89 passing yards in the matchup. This year, with Warren potentially behind center, I expect Stanford to be much more willing to put the ball in the air. Warren does have a quick release, so I expect Stanford to potentially deploy a Louisville-type attack against the Canes—get the football out quickly, neutralize Miami’s pass rush and challenge the Hurricanes’ secondary. We will soon find out if Warren officially gets the nod, but the early signs are pointing toward him being the guy Miami will see under center when the Cardinals come to town. And if he is, Miami’s game plan should be simple: Make Davis Warren beat you. Don’t let him get comfortable. Don’t allow Stanford to consistently stay ahead of the chains. And most importantly, make Warren prove that he can consistently win the game from the pocket.