The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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14 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MAY 2023 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Michigan junior quarterback Davis Warren has worked for everything since arriving in Ann Arbor ahead of the 2021 season. His junior season of high school saw him miss time due to a bout with cancer, and his senior year was wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in a low-key high school recruitment that led to him walking on at Michigan. Now, he is in competition for the backup quarterback spot behind classmate J.J. McCarthy. The Academic All-Big Ten selection studying business administration continues to grind and show that he belongs. "Coming in as a walk-on, you have to prove everything," Warren said. "With this program, I was told when I decided to come here that when you walk in the door, it doesn't matter who you are or where you came from. If you're a five- star or a no-star like I was, you're going to get a look, and you're going to have the chance to grind every single day." The Michigan staff values his work, too. He was put on scholarship this winter along with his roommate, wide receiver Peyton O'Leary. The two were matched on the Maize team in the 2023 spring game with Warren complet- ing 8 of 13 passes for 163 yards with an interception and O'Leary grabbing 6 receptions for 126 yards and a two-point conversion pass from Warren secure a 22-21 Maize win. "Being put on scholarship definitely validates a lot of the things that I feel like I've been doing and the role that I have carved out for myself on this team," Warren said. "But it doesn't change how I feel about where I've come from to where I am now. Maybe some guys in the room or some guys in the building are [now a little more familiar] with me now. "I don't think it changes much. For both of us coming in as walk-ons, our goal was to get on scholarship. The next goal is to then play and contribute." Head coach Jim Harbaugh called Warren and O'Leary separately while they were in the same place. The two had achieved a lifelong dream and were able to do it together, and then parlayed it into a productive spring camp. "I remember the day that we both got called the same day from Coach Harbaugh and he told us the news," Warren said. "That was just an awesome moment for both of us. And I think it definitely does validate all of the work we have been putting in." Warren and Indiana graduate transfer Jack Tuttle will duke it out in fall camp and throughout the season to backup McCarthy, but he knows that one person's success means success for the group. He hopes to keep pushing for more to elevate the ceiling. "We all know that as a room, we're gonna do everything we can to support [McCarthy] and put him in the best position to be successful," Warren said. "Then, we all compete with each other to push him and challenge him and make him the best guy he can be. Coach [Kirk] Campbell says the room is out there with him when he is out there." — Anthony Broome Warren, a former walk-on who was put on scholarship in advance of spring practice, completed 8 of 13 passes for 163 yards for the Maize team in U-M's 2023 spring game. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL ❱ Student-Athlete Of The Month Junior Quarterback Davis Warren MICHIGAN'S TOP PERFORMERS Men's gymnastics freshman Fred Richard: The Stoughton, Mass., native was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year March 28, becoming the sev- enth U-M athlete to earn the honor and first since Paul Juda in 2020. On April 1, Richard went on to claim Big Ten indi- vidual titles in the all-around and high bar, and in the process claimed Big Ten Gymnast of the Championships honors. Prior to competing with the U-M squad in the NCAA Championships April 14-15 at State College, Pa., Richard led the country on high bar with a national qualifying average of 14.631. He had the second-highest score in the country on the event with a 14.750 at the Big Ten finals. Men's tennis fifth-year senior Andrew Fenty: He was tabbed as Big Ten Men's Tennis Co-Athlete of the Week April 12, after going 4-0 with two singles wins and a pair of doubles victories. He beat Ohio State's No. 58-ranked Justin Boulais (3-6, 6-4, 6-4) April 9 after notching a 6-1 doubles win with partner Gavin Young. He also won his singles match against Penn State (6-3, 6-1) and at No. 1 doubles (6-2). Fenty had won his last seven dual singles matches and was 14-3 on the season and 11-3 in dual doubles through April 12. Water polo junior Kata Utassy: She was rec- ognized as the Collegiate Water Polo Association Player of the Week April 6. The previous weekend, she recorded 6 goals, 9 assists and 15 points in three games. She scored her 100th point of the season in a win over No. 21 Brown April 1, doing so in just 25 games, the fastest pace in program history to hit the milestone. This was her third CWPA Player of the Week honor of the season. Baseball freshman Jonathan Kim: He was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week April 3 for the first time in his career after a 5-hit game March 31 against Illinois and a 9-for-16 week at the plate. He became just the 10th Michi- gan player overall and fourth freshman to have a 5-hit game since 2000. — Clayton Sayfie