Michigan’s quarterback depth chart has one name locked in at the top for 2026: Bryce Underwood. The real question in Ann Arbor is who sits behind him as QB2.
That battle has turned into a two-man race between true freshman Tommy Carr and Colorado State transfer Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, and the competition has tightened as fall camp has worn on.
Carr made the strongest early impression. He was the headliner in Michigan’s spring game in April, flashing the kind of athleticism that lets him escape trouble, extend plays and pick up yards with his legs. He also showed enough in the passing game to stand out, even if he remains the more raw option of the two.
Fowler-Nicolosi, though, arrived with a very different résumé. Michigan added the veteran after he spent four seasons at Colorado State, where he put up 6,938 passing yards and 38 touchdowns. The downside has been the turnover issue: 29 interceptions.
The gap between them looked bigger at the start of camp, at least according to offensive coordinator Jason Beck.
"Yeah, it's been really good," Beck said of the QB2 battle. "You know, the initial first three, five, six practices, Tommy just had a clear advantage because he was so much more familiar. And even though, Brayden - you're studying in the summer and you're doing all this, once you get in there, it's totally different, right?
"And so that first little bit was he was kind of swimming. But within the last week, he's totally settled down and really closed the gap.
As you'd expect, he's kind of been there, does a lot of really good things and has a lot of experience. And so he's really closed that gap of those two kind of going back and forth.
So the last - this whole week, they've just been splitting all the two reps and just kind of battling it out.
Beck said the contrast between the two is pretty clear. Carr brings more mobility and more of a threat as a runner, with the ability to pull the ball down, get outside the pocket and create on the move. Fowler-Nicolosi, meanwhile, gives Michigan a bigger arm and a more polished passing profile when he plants and lets it rip.
"Tommy's a little more mobile, a little more of a threat in the run game to pull and take off, has a great sense of extending plays and doing things kind of impromptu," Beck said. "Where Brayden has a pretty big-time arm. And when he makes his decision, gets the foot in the ground, that ball's coming out and he throws it really well, really accurate and does a nice job that way."
That stylistic split matters because Beck likes to use his quarterbacks as runners. Devon Dampier was proof of that in each of the last two seasons at both New Mexico and Michigan, and the Wolverines are planning to use Underwood’s legs this year as well.
So if Michigan ever needs the backup, the decision may come down to what it wants the offense to look like. Carr would let the Wolverines keep more of the same in the playbook and preserve the threat of a quarterback run game. Fowler-Nicolosi would offer a more traditional pocket option and a proven passer.
That’s the choice Beck and Michigan still have to settle before the Sept. 5 opener against Western Michigan.
In Other News...
Michigan Team Pays Heartbreaking Tribute After Teammates Sudden Death
The Traverse City Central boys soccer team opened its season carrying a grief no scoreboard can measure, honoring junior Wilder Seeburger after his death following a car crash that remains under investigation by the Grand Traverse County Sheriffs Office. Seeburger, 17, was remembered before the match with his jersey hanging from a goal post, a simple but powerful gesture that turned the field into a place of mourning as much as competition.
His No. 33 was also retired as the team marked the start of a season now defined in part by loss. A visitation for Seeburger is scheduled at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home, giving family, classmates and teammates another chance to gather around a young life gone too soon and a program still trying to find its footing in the aftermath. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Offense Still Has One Big Camp Question Behind Bryce Underwood
Bryce Underwoods summer surge has been one of the clearer developments in Michigans fall camp, and offensive coordinator Jason Beck said the freshman has made real strides with his consistency and footwork. Even with that progress, there is still plenty for the staff to sort through around him, from the offensive line to a receiver room that is still taking shape as camp moves along.
Behind Underwood, the quarterback battle is still tight between Tommy Carr and Brady Smigiel, which keeps a little more intrigue in the room than the starter spot alone would suggest. Michigan is also trying to build chemistry across the offense while leaning into its depth at running back and wide receiver, so the next few weeks should go a long way toward showing how much of the unit is ready to settle and how much remains open. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Remains In The Fight For A Massive 2028 Recruit
One of the biggest names in the 2028 class is already trimming things down, and Michigan is still very much in the conversation. Five-star defensive lineman Kellan Hall has narrowed his list to 12 schools, a sign that the early recruiting battle around the elite prospect is starting to take shape. The group still includes heavy hitters like Oklahoma, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Tennessee, along with the Wolverines, giving Michigan a seat at a table that figures to stay crowded for a while.
Hall is still in the evaluation stage as he gets ready for his upcoming high school season, weighing the different factors that will matter most when he eventually makes a decision. For Michigan, simply staying on the list matters, especially with a player of his stature and upside on the board this early. The next step will be seeing which programs can keep building momentum before the race tightens again. [Read more 🡒]