The Wolverines should be over the moon about landing the No. 1 player in the 2025 class. But how will Bryce Underwood’s three-year outlook affect the way Sherrone Moore recruits for the position?
Everything changed for the Michigan Wolverines when they landed Bryce Underwood last fall. The No. 1 player in the 2025 class, he will have every opportunity to solidify himself in Michigan lore.
Underwood’s commitment has helped land other top 2025 offensive recruits; his allure is already paying dividends. But with Underwood likely the Week 1 starter as a true freshman, what happens to the future of quarterback recruiting?
Next Steps
The Wolverines have four-star Brady Smigiel committed to the 2026 class, who is a top-200 player in his class and has more than enough talent to start at the Division I level. But how realistic is his path to playing time?
Ideally, Underwood is a three-year starter for Michigan and declares for the 2028 NFL Draft . Theoretically, Smigiel could have a shot at playing time as an underclassman if Underwood underwhelms, but that’s a drastic, very unlikely doomsday scenario.
While it is still encouraging to land a commitment like Smigiel’s, he could be the last quality quarterback the Wolverines recruit this year. For 2026 and 2027 high school graduates, what is the upside of joining a room that already includes Underwood, Smigiel, Jadyn Davis and whichever transfers Moore inevitably adds after this season?
Michigan is also not a historic quarterback factory like Southern California, Oklahoma or Louisiana State. Claiming McCarthy (and hopefully Underwood) helps, but this is still a team ingrained in trench warfare and classic Big Ten football.
Maybe new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey slingshots this offense into the new age. But with Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall in the backfield and an improved offensive line to block for them, the Wolverines should remain a run-heavy unit in 2025. This does not mean they cannot become a more pass-heavy attack, but the Wolverines have never overly prided themselves on quarterback play.
Landing someone of Underwood’s stature is always a good thing, particularly when he is an in-state recruit. There is some potential downside to the upcoming recruiting classes with viable playing time off the table. However, perhaps this is the approach Moore and his staff will take; you do not need to nab the top quarterback every year, so long as you replenish every 2-3 seasons.