Insider Notes on four-star Michigan QB target Stone Saunders

The Wolverine made the drive to Massillon, Ohio, on Sunday for the Elite 11 Regionals that featured four-star Harrisburg (Pa.) Bishop McDevitt quarterback and key Michigan target Stone Saunders.

An expansion of the quarterback board for the 2025 class was just one result of promoting Kirk Campbell to the role of quarterbacks coach this offseason with Saunders rapidly ascending. Keep in mind that both Saunders and Campbell share roots to the state of Pennsylvania so there was strong familiar of each other’s individual journeys.

Saunders is coming off a MaxPrep Sophomore All-American season in 2022 in which he led Bishop McDevitt to a state championship while recording over 3,000 yards passing. Now ranked as the No. 19 overall quarterback in the country, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, Saunders was among the first offered Michigan prospects at the position who heard from Campbell when the latter accepted the job in January.

The consensus opinion regarding Campbell’s natural ability to connect with players and their families in a short amount of time is strongly believed by Saunders as well, detailing the appreciation of Campbell’s awareness of the success he experienced in the fall.

In their early conversations, Campbell pressed for Saunders to come back to Ann Arbor for an unofficial visit during the month of March, which did occur.

On the trip, Saunders and his family were in the facilities the same day that Michigan was holding their spring game draft. Saunders’ father, Steve Saunders, also spoke to The Wolverine, who said that the fun everyone had with the draft really exemplified the brotherhood within the program and how well run the ship is run by head coach Jim Harbaugh.

It was the second time that the 6-foot-1 and 195-pounder ever stepped foot in Ann Arbor after making the drive in the prior offseason but the third time that he’s seen Michigan live. Saunders was in attendance for the Rutgers game last season in Piscataway.

Knowledge of the Michigan quarterbacks runs deeper than previous visits for practice and games for Saunders as he trains out in Huntington Beach, California, with 3DQB and has worked alongside the likes of Davis Warren. According to Saunders, when asked what he thought of JJ McCarthy as the leader of the Michigan offense, the Chicago native’s down-to-earth personality comes alive every time they speak.

As the spring evaluation period enters the thick of it, Campbell told Saunders on the phone that he’s expected to drop by Bishop McDevitt while Michigan is on the road for its cross-country trip. One of the stops will be the Gettysburg Battlefield which is less than an hour from Harrisburg.

Saunders is planning to return to Ann Arbor this fall. He doesn’t have an idea as to what specific game he’ll plan for but possibly when Ohio State comes to town.

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