Michigan keeps Bryce Underwood as quarterback despite uneven opener
Coach Kyle Whittingham says Underwood remains Michigan’s starter for now, but the position is not guaranteed beyond the next game.
Michigan will retain Bryce Underwood as its starting quarterback for now, despite a difficult season opener and coach Kyle Whittingham’s warning that the position is not permanently secure.
Underwood completed 12 of 20 passes in Michigan’s 13–12 win over Western Michigan on Saturday. He threw a 47-yard Hail Mary touchdown to JJ Buchanan on the final play after Big Ten replay officials ruled that one second remained.
Whittingham said Underwood was “our QB right now”, but added that Michigan had to “turn a corner” and show improvement. He said the expectation applied to the coaching staff and the wider team as well as the quarterback.
Underwood opened the game with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, but Michigan did not score again until the final play. Whittingham said the quarterback had performed strongly during training camp but needed to translate that form into live games.
The decision leaves freshman Tommy Carr as Michigan’s named backup. Whittingham said Carr had taken some practice reps with the starting offence, without indicating that a change had been made.
Michigan next hosts No. 10 Oklahoma, which held Underwood to 9-of-24 passing for 142 yards in a 24–13 win last season. Underwood started throughout 2025, passing for 2,428 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
