On a recent podcast, Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey offered his early impressions of true freshman Bryce Underwood and the beginning stages of the Wolverines’ 2025 quarterback competition between him, Mikey Keene and Jadyn Davis:
Michigan Wolverines offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey has his work cut out for him this offseason, as the program will enter its first practices of 2025 with a wide-open quarterback competition.
With last season’s starter Davis Warren recovering from a torn ACL in the bowl game against Alabama, graduate transfer Mikey Keene, redshirt freshman Jadyn Davis and true freshman phenom Bryce Underwood will battle for the starting role.
Lindsey recently appeared on In The Trenches with Jon Jansen and shared his early impressions of Underwood, as well as the mindset he’s taking into the quarterback evaluation process.
“Bryce, getting to know him has been unbelievable,” Lindsey said. “The guy is as humble and driven as I’ve seen. People from the outside may not see that or know that, because of the hype that goes with it.”
Underwood, the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, arrived in Ann Arbor in January and has already made a strong impression. Despite the hype surrounding the five-star quarterback, Lindsey sees a grounded and highly motivated player.
However, Lindsey made it clear all the quarterbacks will be evaluated on the same level this spring, emphasizing that execution will be the biggest determining factor in terms of who earns the job.
“We’re gonna coach them all the same,” Lindsey said. “Expectations are the same. And the way we go about it — you think about those three guys, they’re all a little different from where they are in their career and so forth, but they’re all similar in that they want to be really good. And they want to push each other and they want to compete.”
This confirms the plan, at least initially, is to rotate reps evenly among Underwood, Davis and Keene, giving each guy a chance to work with the team’s top playmakers. As for who will emerge as the starter, Lindsey knows it will ultimately come down to performance.
“It’s a production business. Whatever you produce, that’s who you are. Whatever you put on film, that’s who you are,” Lindsey said.
Beyond just determining the starting quarterback, Lindsey stressed the importance of building an explosive offense. Michigan wants to push the ball downfield while maintaining efficiency and limiting mistakes.
“How do we create explosive plays — good football really still wins,” Lindsey said. “How do you create explosive plays? No negative plays, turnovers, be good on third down, be good in the red zone. It’s not real complicated, though it’s harder than it sounds.”
That means Michigan’s next quarterback will need to be a difference-maker, someone who elevates the players around him.
“If your quarterbacks play well, everybody plays better,” Lindsey said. “Those are the special quarterbacks — the ones that make everybody on the field better, take ownership even when it’s not their fault sometimes.”
With a talented group of quarterbacks vying for the job, Lindsey is confident someone will emerge. The focus this spring will be on competition, consistency and playmaking ability. Michigan has no shortage of talent in the room, but finding the right leader for the offense will be a key storyline in the months ahead.
As spring practices begin, all eyes will be on Underwood, Davis and Keene as they battle for the right to lead Michigan’s offense in 2025.