Jayden Wade’s trip to Ann Arbor was supposed to give Michigan a real opening. Instead, it may have made the gap between the Wolverines and Georgia look even wider.
Wade, Georgia’s prized five-star quarterback commit in the 2028 class, has been locked in with the Bulldogs for over a year. Still, he made the trek to Michigan this weekend to watch the Wolverines face Indiana, a visit that naturally raised eyebrows in Athens.
Michigan’s angle was obvious. The Wolverines have made a habit of going after elite SEC quarterback commits, and they already pulled off one massive flip when they landed Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class, from LSU two years ago. Underwood was always going to be part of the pitch to Wade, too, with Michigan likely hoping he could serve as a live example of why a top quarterback should follow the same path.
But the timing of this visit could hardly have gone worse for Michigan.
This was the first game Underwood was benched after struggling badly this season, and Wade got an up-close look at the situation. Underwood had started as a true freshman last year and, while he wasn’t spectacular, he was solid enough for a first-year quarterback making his initial college starts. The expectation this fall was for a jump in year two, and that never came.
Instead, Wade watched from the sideline as Underwood sat for the entire visit. Michigan’s backup, Tommy Carr, didn’t exactly seize the moment either. Carr threw for 167 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, and the Wolverines failed to reach the end zone at all in a 13-6 overtime loss.
For Michigan, getting Wade on campus was a win in itself. What they showed him on the field may have been a different story.
At this point, the Wolverines’ best pitch may be money. It’s impossible to know exactly what kind of NIL offer they’d put in front of Wade, but when they flipped Underwood from LSU, the figure was $12 million. If Michigan is willing to go that high again, Georgia may not be willing to meet it.
Even with that hanging over the situation, Wade choosing Michigan over Georgia still looks hard to justify. The Wolverines have not shown they can develop quarterbacks, and Saturday only reinforced that point.
They also aren’t backing up the blue-blood image their fans expect. The loss to Indiana was Michigan’s third of the season, which knocks them out of the playoff picture and ensures they will miss the 12-team field all three years of its existence.
Wade wants development, and he wants wins. Georgia can give him both. Michigan, based on what he saw this weekend, doesn’t look like the place that can offer either.
In Other News...
Georgia Bye Week Comes At A Huge Time In The SEC Race
Week 8 brings a little breathing room at just the right moment for Georgia, which enters the weekend tied with Kentucky for first place in the SEC standings. The Bulldogs get their bye week on Oct. 24, a pause that comes amid a conference slate filled with meaningful games and a race that has started to tighten up around the top of the league.
Kirby Smart has already pointed to the way college footballs balance has shifted, noting the growing parity tied to talent distribution and player compensation. Georgias next test comes Oct. 31 against Florida at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and by then the standings could look different, making this open date feel especially valuable for a team trying to stay ahead in a crowded SEC chase. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Fans Have A New Reason To Worry About Glenn Schumann
With NC State moving on from Dave Doeren, a familiar name from Georgias sideline quickly surfaced in the speculation. ESPN included Bulldogs defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann among the potential candidates, adding another layer of attention around a coach who has become one of the most important figures in Athens over the past several seasons.
Schumann has been with Georgia since 2016, climbing from inside linebackers coach to defensive coordinator and spending time around six national championship teams along the way. He is still focused on Georgias season for now, but the listing only feeds the sense that a head coaching job could be the next step sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Could Face A Surprising Playoff Rest Debate Soon
Georgias bye week has brought a different kind of calculus to Athens, with the Bulldogs sitting No. 5 in the AP Poll and still very much in the thick of the College Football Playoff picture. If they take care of the rest of the regular season and then win the SEC Championship, they could position themselves for a first-round playoff bye, the sort of reward teams have spent all year chasing.
But there is another layer to the conversation that is a little less intuitive. If Georgia misses out on the SEC title game, it would instead get a bye during conference championship weekend, and some historical data suggests that path may actually be more beneficial than the cleaner-looking first-round break. It is the kind of wrinkle that gives the Bulldogs something to monitor as the bracket picture sharpens. [Read more 🡒]