Why the son of Ohio State alum Kirk Herbstreit chose Michigan over Buckeyes
Michigan welcomed three-star quarterback Chase Herbstreit to their 2025 recruiting class on Sunday evening. The St. Xavier player from Cincinnati (OH) surprised many by choosing the Wolverines, especially considering his father, Kirk Herbstreit, played and started for Ohio State during his college career. Chase is rated as a three-star prospect and is ranked as the […]
Michigan welcomed three-star quarterback Chase Herbstreit to their 2025 recruiting class on Sunday evening. The St. Xavier player from Cincinnati (OH) surprised many by choosing the Wolverines, especially considering his father, Kirk Herbstreit, played and started for Ohio State during his college career.
Chase is rated as a three-star prospect and is ranked as the No. 128 quarterback in his class, according to On3.
In his senior season at St. X, he excelled, throwing for 1,600 yards and 18 touchdowns, along with rushing for 649 yards and eight touchdowns.
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Kirk Herbstreit, who played quarterback at Ohio State from 1988 through 1992, is now known as ESPN’s most recognizable college football analyst on College Gameday. He’s also the color commentator for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime. Having two such prestigious roles has fans asking what Herbstreit’s net worth and yearly salary are in 2025. […]
Kirk Herbstreit, known for his appearances on College GameDay and for calling major games on ABC alongside Chris Fowler, was Ohio State's starting quarterback from 1989-1992.
When Chase announced his commitment to Michigan, many were curious about Kirk's reaction to his son joining the team of his former rival. He responded with grace on his X account.
"So proud of you Chase! Congratulations on this incredible opportunity. Look forward to watching you continue to grow and develop at Michigan. Keep grinding!!"
Of course, Buckeye fans were interested in why Herbstreit wasn't joining the Buckeyes. The Wolverines already landed 5-star Bryce Underwood, so the younger Herbie will only see the field for Michigan in case of a blowout or an injury.
So, why Michigan? The answer is that Herbstreit didn't even have a scholarship offer from the Wolverines or the Buckeyes. He'll come on board as a preferred walk-on, competing to earn a scholarship and roster spot.
He previously visited Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Penn State, Notre Dame, and Michigan. While Herbstreit made his rounds to premier programs, the Buckeyes and others felt he wasn't quite ready to help their team enough to earn a Day 1 scholarship. It's not a slight, though, as the NIL field has made it more likely for talented players to take preferred walk-on spots.
The Buckeyes could use some quarterback depth, but it's likely they'd add a more experienced body after Devin Brown departs. Adding Herbstreit would've been a nice nod to their famous alum, but he wouldn't have had a major impact on the program based on expectations.
Here's On3's scouting report on Herbstreit.
Chase Herbstreit is the youngest son of ESPN lead college football and Amazon Prime NFL analyst Kirk Herbstreit. Chase Herbstreit moved from Nashville to Cincinnati as a ninth grader and took over as the starting quarterback for Ohio powerhouse St. Xavier midway through his sophomore season. He led St. X to two wins in its final two games as well as a victory in the first round of the state playoffs. “His competitive spirit and the, I think, intangibles are really unique with him,” his dad told On3. “You hear those sayings about whether he’s playing you in ping-pong, golf or 1-on-1 hoops, he’s going to be that guy you don’t want to go against because he’s going to find a way to win or say, ‘Okay, we’re playing again.’ And that’s how he is on the football field, ultra-competitive, which I think is really important at that position.”
