It would be easy to assume that Bryce Underwood, a five-star recruit and 247Sports’ No. 1 player in the 2025 signing class, will be Michigan’s starting quarterback in Week 1. However, coach Sherrone Moore maintained that the team will have an open competition until further notice.
Following his time on the podium at Big Ten Media Days, Moore told reporters that the Wolverines will find their starting quarterback in training camp. The Michigan coach will know who that is when one player “grabs the team.”
Underwood will be battling Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene for the starting role, but there’s every reason to believe he will pull away eventually. Not only does Underwood have the physical traits (including a 6-foot-4 and now 230-pound build), but he also processes the game at a high level and projects a maturity beyond his years.
In his short time on campus, Underwood has already been impressing everyone in Ann Arbor.
“He’s been amazing,” one source told CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz in June. “Awesome human being. Puts in a ton of work. Already commands a room, even with as young as he is. Has a goal to learn everybody’s name in the building and gives the janitor the same respect that he gives the head coach. As a leader, he just gets it.”
Moore had similar things to say Thursday in Las Vegas. The Michigan coach gushed about Underwood’s approach since enrolling.
“He does everything the right way,” Moore said. “He makes sure that he attacks everything the best way. And I literally just got off the phone with him, calling me, asking me what time he has to be at the team meeting on Tuesday. So he wants to make sure he’s on time to do everything right.
“He’s a great teammate, great kid, great young man.”
The one clear edge Keene possesses over Underwood is experience. Keene, who missed much of spring practice due to injury, has played 39 career games between UCF and Fresno State and attempted 1,170 passes. Last season, Keene completed 70.5% of his throws for 2,892 yards, 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
“You talk about Mikey, we did a study about snaps in college football, and he leads the team with 2,029 snaps in college football,” Moore said. “That’s a lot of snaps in the game. So he’s a guy that’s done it, that has experienced it at a high level.”
Whoever starts for the Wolverines will have one week to get his feet under him with a home game against New Mexico before traveling to Norman for a road clash against Oklahoma.
