Tommy Carr is the guy now for Michigan, and that shift has pushed Bryce Underwood into a very different role than the one many expected when the season began.
Carr is lined up for his third start this weekend against rival Michigan State after taking over when Underwood threw two first-half interceptions against Penn State. The move came after Underwood opened the year as the Wolverines’ starter in each of the first six games, but the passing production never matched the expectations that followed him to Ann Arbor.
Underwood arrived as the former No. 1-ranked recruit in the 2025 class, and Michigan hoped Jason Beck’s arrival from Utah to run the offense would change the outlook. Instead, the numbers have been rough. Underwood has completed 58.1% of his passes this season and has thrown five touchdown passes against six interceptions.
Even with the benching, Underwood has remained a presence around the team, and quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer made clear he has noticed the way the young quarterback has handled the setback. Detmer also said he wishes he had done more to help prepare Underwood for the 2026 season.
"First, just really been proud of Bryce and how he's handled the situation," Detmer said. "There's very few and not a lot of people that can say, 'hey man, I understand how you're feeling'.
That's a really tough situation that he's been in. But he's handled it exceptionally, being a captain and being a leader on our team.
"He’s been not only a vocal presence, but in our quarterback room, another set of eyes and a guy that’s played a lot of football to be able to be there for Tommy that way. I feel and wish I could have done more.
I just feel that - didn't get Bryce there and not sure maybe exactly why or how. It didn't quite click to where we would have wanted it to, but he's an exceptional talent and great young man.
"And right now, in the position that he is, just being one snap away, working hard to be ready, as well as just continuing to develop him in all of [his individual] work and teamwork to help him to grow in his game."
Underwood has stayed active in the background, and his sideline behavior has matched the leadership role Michigan gave him. He has been quick to celebrate with Carr after good plays and just as quick to support him after mistakes, showing no signs of frustration despite losing the starting job.
Detmer said keeping Underwood locked in has not been a problem because of the way he approaches the game.
"Yeah, a lot of it is, man, you're one snap away," Detmer said of keeping Underwood engaged. "You know, and we would absolutely love to use you in certain situations that maybe present themselves, as well as if something does happen or something does come up, being able to step in and be ready and be able to help us win football games.
"And so, just the kid he is and having learned a lot about him and how he's come up over the years in football and stuff, like, he loves football and so it's not like pulling his teeth to help keep him engaged, if that makes sense. He loves being out there playing and so, and he wants to work at his craft and he wants to get better. So he stays ready, he stays engaged and he's been doing a really nice job with that over the last few weeks."
For now, Carr has the job for the foreseeable future. If he keeps playing well, Michigan has little reason to change course. That leaves Underwood, the former five-star prospect, in a much different place heading toward his junior season, with the possibility that this could be the end of his run in Ann Arbor.
In Other News...
Michigan Heads Into Michigan State With One Big Question Still Lingering
Tommy Carr is set to make his third career start when Michigan hosts Michigan State on Saturday at Michigan Stadium, and that alone gives this rivalry matchup a little extra intrigue. The Wolverines are still sorting through a few defensive question marks, but those players are listed as questionable and expected to play, which should help keep the focus on a game that always carries its own edge no matter the records.
Michigan will get the prime-time treatment with Peacock and NBC Sports Network carrying the broadcast, and Paul Burmeister and Yogi Roth on the call. For a team trying to settle in behind a young quarterback, this is the kind of stage that can either steady things or complicate them, and the biggest question around Ann Arbor is whether Carr can keep building momentum in one of the sport's most unforgiving settings. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's O-Line Problem Is Becoming A Real Concern For Bryce Underwood
Michigans offensive line has become one of the clearest pressure points in a season already defined by shuffling and attrition up front. Only junior Jake Guarnera has started all eight games, and the constant turnover has left the unit searching for any kind of rhythm. For a team that wants to lean on the ground game and make life easier on its offense as a whole, the lack of continuity has shown up in a hurry.
The results have been hard to ignore, with Michigan sitting 97th in rushing offense and still trying to find a combination that can hold up week after week. Coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive line coach Jim Harding have both acknowledged the challenge, and the focus now is on making the group more physical and more efficient. Until that happens, the questions around protection and run-game consistency are going to keep hanging over Bryce Underwood and the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Game Puts Michigans Biggest Offensive Frustration On Display
Michigans offensive frustration has been impossible to ignore this fall, and the buildup to the Michigan State game has only sharpened the focus on it. Quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. said the Wolverines want to lean on the run game in the rivalry matchup, a sensible place to start for a team that has not produced a 100-yard rusher and has averaged just 3.5 yards per carry in Big Ten play.
The timing matters, too, because both teams are dealing with injuries and the matchup figures to be a physical one. For Michigan, that means the ground game is not just a preference but a pressure point, especially in a rivalry where control at the line of scrimmage can decide everything long before the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]