newsweek
Michigan's football season has been a rollercoaster, with a 3-2 start that featured consecutive losses to Iowa and Minnesota. The Wolverines briefly rebounded with a 21-18 win over Penn State, but then fell to Indiana 13-6 in overtime, their third loss of the year, effectively ending any College Football Playoff aspirations.
Although Michigan defeated Rutgers 28-21 on Saturday to improve to 5-3, the performance was less than convincing given the Wolverines were 16.5-point favorites against a Scarlet Knights team that had only two wins. The bigger storyline, however, has been the quarterback situation surrounding star Bryce Underwood, who was benched in favor of true freshman Tommy Carr during the Penn State game.
Carr has started the last two games, posting a 1-1 record as the starter. On Monday, head coach Kyle Whittingham confirmed that Carr will remain the starter against Michigan State this Saturday and for the "foreseeable future."
Key Analysis
Carr, a four-star recruit and the No. 22 quarterback prospect in the 2026 class, chose Michigan over offers from Miami (Ohio), Iowa State, Rutgers, Wake Forest, and others. He is the younger brother of Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr and the grandson of former Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr, who led Michigan to a national championship in 1997.
In four appearances this season (two starts), Carr has completed 72.1% of his passes for 503 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, along with 114 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He delivered his best performance on Saturday against Rutgers, going 22 of 27 for 266 yards and one touchdown without an interception, while adding 54 rushing yards and two rushing scores.
While Carr has impressed, especially for a first-year player, the decision is striking given Underwood's pedigree. Underwood was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class and reportedly signed an NIL deal worth around $12 million to flip his commitment from LSU. Michigan had built its future around him, and now he finds himself a sophomore backup behind a freshman.
All signs point to Underwood entering the transfer portal and seeking a fresh start elsewhere in 2027. As for Michigan, with three losses already, the odds of making the postseason are very low. But they could still clinch a bowl game and finish with a winning record in Whittingham's debut season, which would be viewed as a victory considering the circumstances.
After Michigan State on Saturday, the Wolverines will travel to Oregon before hosting No. 5 UCLA and closing their regular season on the road at No. 11 Ohio State.
Originally reported by newsweek.