Back in 2024, Sherrone Moore pulled a slick move with Bryce Underwood. Fast forward to the end of a lackluster 2025 season, and the vibe couldn’t be more chaotic for the Michigan Wolverines. Jake Garcia joins the portal, marking Michigan’s fourth quarterback exit.

“NEW: Michigan QB Jake Garcia has entered the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports,” reported the Transfer Portal page on X. 

He came aboard in the 2025 offseason as emergency quarterback insurance behind Underwood. Garcia’s college journey has taken him through Miami, Missouri, and East Carolina. He appeared in just one game at Michigan this past season without recording a stat.

But across 16 career games at three programs, the Whittier, California native has totaled 2,376 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.

His clearest body of work came at East Carolina, where he handled his most prominent FBS role. He threw for 1,426 yards, eight scores, and 12 picks in 2024, winning the starting job, then later losing it as the season wore on.

Garcia came up in the same class as Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, now thriving on the NFL playoff stage. But he’s looking for a fresh start in college football after his stint at Michigan.

Michigan’s quarterback depth takes another punch as Garcia joins Jadyn Davis, Mikey Keene, and 2024 starter Davis Warren in the transfer portal exodus. Well, the reason behind his departure must be the Wolverines’ other quarterback, Underwood.

Confidence was shaky in Ann Arbor from the jump. The 2026 season was Underwood’s audition after cashing a $12 million NIL deal. However, the tape didn’t live up to the hype. He showed sparks versus Central Michigan, the Wisconsin Badgers, and the Washington Huskies, then went cold against top-tier competition. 

He posted his second-lowest completion mark at 9-for-16 against the Oklahoma Sooners. The stats further dipped against the Ohio State Buckeyes, finishing 8-for-18.

With Davis, Keene, and Warren already hitting the exit door, Garcia might have been living with the hope of grabbing Michigan’s keys as the starter. But Underwood rained on his plans, confirming his return for the 2026 season on January 5. At his introductory press conference, Whittingham left no doubt about keeping Underwood as priority No. 1. 

That was the point of clarity for Garcia. But maybe it was not the only factor. Whittingham confessed that Michigan, for so long, did not have a quarterback coach for Underwood. 

New head coach lifts the curtain on one of the Michigan Wolverines’ problems

When the new head coach joined The Triple Option podcast with Urban Meyer, he admitted Underwood’s development last season lacked a dedicated position coach.

“From what I understand, there was no dedicated quarterback coach working with him on a daily basis, which has to happen,” Whittingham said.

Michigan’s new head coach is overhauling the staff, tapping Jason Beck as offensive coordinator and Koy Detmer Jr. as quarterbacks coach to spearhead Underwood’s development. 

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Beck, Whittingham’s longtime offensive coordinator at Utah Utes, guided an offense that ranked fourth nationally in both scoring and total offense in 2025. Detmer Jr. follows him to Ann Arbor after they stop together in Syracuse, New Mexico, and Utah.

Michigan has gone into damage-control mode at quarterback. On January 11, the Wolverines landed Colorado State transfer Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, followed by a commitment from LSU transfer Colin Hurley on January 13.

Bryce Underwood stands as the lone constant in a rebuilt Michigan quarterback room. With fresh guidance in place, all eyes are now on how this new chapter unfolds.