According to 247Sports, Michigan five-star true freshman QB Bryce Underwood has a “high” chance to start right away. Here’s why:
The Michigan Wolverines will have several new starters across the board in 2025, with quarterback being the one position that every fan is most curious about. With Davis Warren tearing his ACL in the bowl game and Alex Orji transferring to UNLV, the Wolverines will have a brand new starter under center for the season opener against New Mexico State.
The two favorites to earn the job are Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene and true freshman five-star Bryce Underwood. Keene has been around the college football block a time or two and has a ton of experience under his belt. Meanwhile, Underwood is the top ranked quarterback recruit in the history of Michigan football and has an incredibly high ceiling.
A fierce battle will take place all offseason long, but one media outlet is confident that the college football newcomer is going to lead the Wolverines right away. 247Sports gave their likelihood for each of the top-10 ranked true freshmen quarterbacks to start in 2025 on a scale of low to high, and Underwood was given a “high.”
Here’s their rationale:
“Michigan added Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene through the transfer portal this offseason, but the Wolverines have a multi-million dollar investment in Bryce Underwood, the highest-rated quarterback to commit to the program in nearly 20 years. Underwood, who has earned comparisons to Vince Young, participated in bowl practices with Michigan and looks the part of a Day 1 starter with a 6-foot-4, 208-pound frame. Keene tossed 18 touchdowns to 11 interceptions in the Mountain West this season, not exactly a ringing endorsement as Michigan looks to re-enter the CFP picture sooner rather than later.”
Underwood’s NIL value has been heavily discussed, and whether or not the numbers floating around are true, there’s no disputing he is being paid handsomely to be in Ann Arbor. He wouldn’t have flipped from LSU in the first place if he and his family weren’t set up financially — he’s said as much multiple times since signing in December.
But 247Sports is not only heavily underrating Keene’s abilities and experience at the position, but the NIL set up for him as well. It’d be hard to believe if both Keene and Underwood weren’t two of Michigan’s highest paid players in 2025, and I’m sure Jadyn Davis isn’t very far behind. Any highly recruited quarterback — in high school or the portal — is going to earn top dollar in college these days, so NIL has nothing to do with either guy winning the job.
The one who wins the job would earn that distinction because he is better than the others, and is the quarterback that Sherrone Moore and company believe give them the best chance at winning games. It’s really as simple as that. We saw that this past season and we’ve seen it every year during the Jim Harbaugh era, and that isn’t going to change under Moore’s leadership.
Do you think Underwood will be the Day 1 guy, or will Keene ultimately win the job? Let us know what you think down in the comments section below!