Mikey Keene has played a lot of college football, but does that experience mean he’ll be Michigan’s QB1 in Week 1? Here’s Keene’s outlook for 2025.
As Michigan embarks on the 2025 football season, the quarterback position remains a focal point of discussion. Michigan has five-star true freshman QB Bryce Underwood in the fold, but he hasn’t received the starting job just yet. Underwood will have to fend off UNLV transfer Mikey Keene, who has loads of experience throughout his collegiate career.
The story so far
Standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing 200 pounds, Keene has thrown for 8,200 passing yards in his career with 65 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. Keene’s journey began at UCF, where he started 15 games, with a 65.6% completion rate and 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Keene would then transfer to UNLV and start two seasons there. In all, Keene threw for 5,868 yards at UNLV with 42 touchdowns, 21 interceptions, and a 68.7 completion rate.
Keene’s decision to transfer to Michigan was influenced by his previous experience with offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey at UCF, who’s now Michigan’s OC. Unfortunately for Keene, he was sidelined for nearly the entire duration of Michigan’s spring practices with an injury and didn’t appear in Michigan’s spring game. Keene’s injury allowed for Bryce Underwood and Jadyn Davis to receive a lot more reps. However, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore isn’t too concerned that Keene missed spring ball.
“I did a study of all the guys that had the most snaps, and he’s played the most snaps in college football on our team, over 2,000-something snaps,” Moore said. “A guy who’s played a lot of football, understands the moments, understands the big moments, understands what it takes to be really good. He’s been a great addition for our football program.”
Outlook moving forward
Sherrone Moore expects the quarterback competition to continue through fall camp. Keene will be fully healthy by August, which means he’ll have a chance to show he should be Michigan’s starting quarterback. Bryce Underwood is most definitely Michigan’s quarterback of the future, but he’s a true freshman that is still getting acclimated to the speed of college football and the complexities of Michigan’s playbook. That’s where Keene does have a decisive edge as he has plenty of experience and high familiarity of Chip Lindsey’s scheme.
“He knows exactly where to go with the ball,” Chip Lindsey said in February. “He’ll get the protections right. He’ll execute at a high level. He’s never flinched in the moment, so to speak, when the moment is a big moment.”
Whether Keene is Michigan’s starting QB in the season opener against New Mexico remains to be seen and it’ll boil down to whether he or Underwood are more consistent during fall camp.