Renowned ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit made headlines last year when he was pictured wearing Michigan blue during his son, Chase Herbstreit’s commitment to the Wolverines. Kirk played for the Wolverines’ bitter rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes, but chose to put that fact aside during his son’s commitment to the rival program.
Despite not playing a single snap for Michigan this season, Chase went viral for being among the Wolverines players lined up to stop Ohio State players from planting their flag at Michigan Stadium after a blowout win in November.
Kirk Herbstreit Admits to Failing His Sons
During Wednesday’s segment of the “Youth Inc.” podcast, the ESPN analyst spoke about his son choosing to join Michigan, despite being in the same recruitment class as the talented Bryce Underwood, and what he learned from the process.
“He (Chase) was determined to go up even though he knew Bryce Underwood, the most sought-after recruit was gonna be his classmate in the quarterback room,” Kirk Herbstreit said. “He didn’t blink. I didn’t say, ‘Here’s what you’re gonna do.’ I said, ‘Here’s option one, you can maybe look at this and, here’s option two. What do you think?’
“I have four sons. I messed up a lot. I never want to be like, ‘Here’s the answers, everybody.’ I failed a lot as a dad, I readily admit that. I’m so competitive. By the time I got to my third or fourth son, I was much more chilled.”
Chase played for Cincinnati St. Xavier High School and was considered a three-star talent and the No. 148 quarterback prospect in the class of 2025. His commitment to Michigan stunned college football due to his family’s long ties to Ohio State.
During a December 2024 appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast, Kirk revealed that Chase was the most staunch Buckeyes supporter among his kids.
“What an opportunity for him (Chase),” Herbstreit said. “You know that this is a kid that grew up a lifelong Ohio State fan. Of all my kids, like he’s the guy that cried when they lose games, like he’s the Ohio State junkie. Ohio State did not really pursue him to the point of offering him a scholarship.”
Chase’s father played for the Buckeyes between 1989 and 1993, leading the team to the Florida Citrus Bowl as a senior. Chase’s grandfather, Jim Herbstreit, was a co-captain for Ohio State in 1960 and became an assistant coach at the program.
Kirk’s son, Zak, was a walk-on on coach Ryan Day’s team, further deepening the family’s ties with the Buckeyes. Chase’s older brothers, Tye and Jake Herbstreit, were walk-ons at Clemson before Jake transferred to Ohio State.
