Ranking the 10 best Michigan football quarterbacks of the past 20 years
For decades, Michigan football was known as the program that churned out elite quarterbacks, and while that took a brief hiatus during the changeover from Lloyd Carr to Rich Rodriguez and again at the outset of the Jim Harbaugh era, the Wolverines have had some really good ones come through Ann Arbor.
Though the formula has not been quite the same as those who run a pass-happy offense like an air raid, Michigan’s pro-style system has stood the test of time. And even when the maize and blue deviated from the formula, it’s managed to have elite talent at the position that’s wowed fans across the country.
Looking back to 2023, here are the best quarterbacks to come through Ann Arbor over the past 20 years.
J.J. McCarthy
A program-changer, McCarthy was undefeated against Ohio State as a player and against Michigan State as a starter. He won the Big Ten all three years he was in Ann Arbor, and went to the College Football Playoff all three years. An enigmatic arm talent with the ability to extend plays with his feet, the Wolverines could rely upon him when the run game was stagnant or when it needed an extra runner to get tough first downs. McCarthy was a big reason why the maize and blue were able to win the national championship in 2023 through both his play as well as his leadership.
Chad Henne
A four-year starter who was thrown to the wolves his freshman year, Henne was among the best quarterbacks to ever come through the program. A former five-star, he had all the arm talent in the world and made the most of it during his tenure. Atop the record books as the career passing leader, Henne was undefeated against Michigan State but never beat Ohio State in his four years at the helm.
Denard Robinson
‘Shoelace’ was perhaps the most electric quarterback that has ever come through Ann Arbor and that likely ever will. The enigmatic dual-threat thrived under former head coach Rich Rodriguez, showcasing elite speed on the ground and an adequate arm despite some limitations there. Robinson will always be a fan favorite, and continues to be revered in Ann Arbor — where he returned as a recruiting assistant before the 2021 season.
Jon Navarre
Another weirdly controversial quarterback, no Michigan football signal-caller has passed for more yards in a single season than Navarre. His 3,331 yards in 2003 has long been predicted to be eclipsed, yet he stands atop the record books and has done so for 20 years now. Navarre left Ann Arbor having beaten Ohio State — the last win in a multi-decade string of dominance in the rivalry. Known for his statuesque demeanor in the backfield, not many Michigan fans revere Navarre as much as he deserves.
Cade McNamara
After defecting to Iowa following having lost the starting job to J.J. McCarthy, McNamara might not be the Michigan fan favorite he once was. Somewhat limited in his ability, McNamara has one thing in spades: moxie.
His leadership helped propel the Wolverines to the first Big Ten Championship in almost two decades, and his timely play helped the maize and blue beat Ohio State for the first time in 10 years.
Shea Patterson
A controversial figure for some reason, Patterson played for two seasons in Ann Arbor after transferring in from Ole Miss. A versatile playmaker, Patterson wasn’t the best passer in the world, but he could make plays both with his arm and his legs. It often felt like he was a square peg that the Wolverines coaching staff was trying to fit into a round hole, and his oblique injury at the outset of the 2019 season didn’t help matters any. But he passed for over 300 yards per game in his final three regular-season games, giving fans a glimpse of what perhaps could have been.
Patterson never beat Ohio State but he was 2-0 against Michigan State.
Jake Rudock
The first quarterback of the Jim Harbaugh era in Ann Arbor, Rudock was solid after transferring from Iowa in 2015 but took his game to the next level in the latter third of his sole season in a winged helmet. Eclipsing over 250 yards per game in each of the final five games, Rudock had the third-best passing game in school history with 440 yards in a double-overtime game at Indiana. He set a standard in Ann Arbor that wouldn’t be met for some time.
Wilton Speight
Though Michigan football fans were eagerly awaiting Brandon Peters to take the helm (or even John O’Korn), Speight was a solid (and surprise) starter in 2016. However, after an upper-body injury late that year, he was never quite the same. Still, Speight was an above-average starter until his Michigan career ended in Week 4 in 2017 due to a broken spine.
Devin Gardner
It’s a shame that we have to rank Gardner so low and it’s not because he wasn’t talented enough. Gardner played behind what might be the worst Michigan football offensive line of all time and even when he did get adequate protection, he was clearly shell-shocked. An elite player and former five-star, if Gardner played in any other time, in any other era, he would have likely gone on to be one of the best to wear a winged helmet.
Gardner is responsible for the two most prolific passing games in Wolverine history.
Ryan Mallett
Though he only played for one season in Ann Arbor, Mallett was thought to be the future and was cast into the fire earlier than expected when Chad Henne was battling injury. The best quarterback recruit to ever come to Michigan, Mallett performed admirably given the circumstances but transferred to Arkansas in his second year. Sadly, he passed away during the summer of 2023.
