Ohio State Alum Kirk Herbstreit's Son Says Joining Michigan Was "No Brainer" After Breaking Family Tradition

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Ohio State connection runs deep in the Herbstreit bloodline. Kirk Herbstreit led the Buckeyes at quarterback in the early nineties, following his dad, Jim, who captained the 1960 team under Woody Hayes. Older brothers Jake and Tye chose Clemson first, with Jake later transferring back to Columbus, and Zak spent four years with the Buckeyes. But none of them ever crossed enemy lines. When the youngest son, Chase, picked Michigan, he became the first Herbstreit in history to pick Ohio State’s biggest rival over the scarlet and gray.

The decision to sign with Michigan came down to Chase’s preference for the Wolverines and the scholarship offer they gave him. During his senior year at St. Xavier in Cincinnati, Chase was talking with multiple schools, including Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame, which were among his top options.

He recalled the moment when his life changed, as he said he was accompanying his dad during the SEC championship, where Kirk was focused on coach meetings. While he was there with his dad, Chase’s phone rang, and a Michigan coach was on the other end offering an immediate deadline along with a scholarship.

“It was a no-brainer for me with the school here, and I already loved the program, loved everything about it,” Chase said, according to a Big Ten Football post on X. “I think the way they’re just like a team, and not individuals, really spoke out to me.”

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The Michigan offer came with a deadline where the coach told him that if he wanted the scholarship, he had to sign the same night on Friday, leaving less time for considering other teams.

Crossing over to the wrong side of the Ohio State and Michigan rivalry is rare, but it has happened before in reverse. Back in the day, former Michigan linebacker Mike Boren watched his son Justin star for the Wolverines, only for Justin to make waves by leaving Ann Arbor and transferring to Ohio State. Eventually, the entire Boren family flipped their allegiance to the Buckeyes, showing how deep legacy ties can twist when a player decides to forge his own path.

But what Chase Herbstreit is doing feels even bigger because he is stepping directly into enemy territory right from high school. While players with strong family roots occasionally pick outside schools, walking into the arch-rival’s locker room when your last name is practically written into Buckeye royalty is almost unheard of. It takes real courage for a teenager to put his own football growth above years of family history.

Chase came in as an unranked, three-star prospect after a senior season at St. Xavier where he threw for 1,600 yards and 18 touchdowns while adding nearly 70 rushing yards. He joined alongside five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood and did not get to start the 2025 season with Underwood on top of the depth chart. Chase remained the backup QB behind Underwood for Michigan’s first three games this season, as he continues to develop through his sophomore season.

Chase pointed to the culture at Michigan as one of the deciding factors beyond the initial offer made. “Kind of like my high school at St. X, we were all about each other, all about the team,” Chase Herbstreit said. “I felt Michigan stood above the other schools in that aspect, and was all about doing the right thing and helping each other.”

During his interview, he also credited his parents for shaping him both on and off the field, noting that watching film with his dad from a young age played a big role in his development as a quarterback. While there were questions surrounding his decision to move to Michigan in 2024, Kirk spoke publicly about his support for his son, regardless of which school he plays for.

Chase has also made it clear that his family’s support never changed, explaining that his parents took a hands-off approach and allowed him to make his own decisions. Though currently Chase’s job is to develop behind Underwood and step up on the field when his name is called, he is more content with playing for Michigan, as the team enters Week 4 with 3-0.

As for the family dynamic, Kirk has made his support clear from the start, congratulating Chase publicly and calling the Michigan opportunity “a thrill”, despite the Buckeyes ties running through the family.

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