Ever since Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham went to Tommy Carr at halftime of the Penn State game, the Bryce Underwood situation has felt increasingly hard to ignore.
That feeling only got stronger Monday, when Whittingham said Carr would remain the starter moving forward for the “foreseeable future” after his second start, a 28-21 win over Rutgers. Carr finished 22-of-27 for 266 yards and added 54 rushing yards and a touchdown.
What happens after that is still up in the air. It will depend on how Carr handles the final month of the season. But if Underwood does end up in the portal, it’s tough to picture him back in a Michigan uniform next season as long as Whittingham is still in charge.
If that’s where this goes, a few landing spots jump out.
Ole Miss makes a lot of sense on paper. Trinidad Chambliss is moving on after this season, so the Rebels will be hunting for a new starter. Offensive coordinator John David Becker has already shown he can work with Chambliss, and the system looks like a cleaner fit for Underwood’s skill set.
At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Underwood has elite arm talent and enough speed to stress defenses, with a 4.4/4.5 time. The Oklahoma game is the one to watch if you want to see what he can do as a runner.
In the right read-option setup, he could thrive. Put him in something like the old Urban Meyer system, and it’s easy to see the appeal.
His struggles this season also make you wonder how much the offensive changes slowed his growth.
Missouri is another fit that stands out, and maybe the one that makes the most sense. It comes down to Austin Simmons, who is a senior but would have a fifth year available if he wants it. Simmons has thrown 16 touchdown passes against only two interceptions this season, and while he hasn’t done much as a runner, the idea of pairing Underwood with Chip Lindsey is intriguing.
There’s familiarity there, too. Lindsey’s best games with Underwood came when Sherrone Moore wasn’t coaching, which seemed to open things up and keep things from getting too conservative.
Simmons would probably return, but Underwood has already shown he can be a backup without creating issues. He might not want to sit a year, but it worked for Dante Moore, who was trending toward being a top-five pick before his recent injury.
Underwood could take a year, reset, and still have two seasons left to prove himself.
Kentucky belongs in the mix as well. The Wildcats don’t have the NIL war chest some other SEC schools can throw around, but that may not matter here since Underwood has already cashed in on NIL. The next move should be about development and getting him back on track for the next level.
Right now, Underwood is not on track to be a draftable quarterback, and that’s where Will Stein comes in. He’s the coach who guided Moore last season and helped turn him into a potential No. 1 overall pick.
Kentucky also has Kenny Minchey playing at a high level, with 16 touchdown passes and just one interception, and he still has another year left. That could mean Underwood would have to wait.
Still, it’s the same kind of setup that worked for Moore with the same coach, and if Underwood is willing to do that, it would make plenty of sense.
Oregon is another obvious name. The Ducks have already landed two former five-star quarterbacks through the portal, so why not a third? It worked with Dante Moore.
Moore is out for the rest of this season, and it’s unclear whether he’ll return or head to the NFL draft. It’s also not clear whether Dylan Raiola can play well enough to lock down the starting job for next season.
If Moore leaves, Underwood and Raiola could end up competing for the job. Underwood isn’t as polished as a passer, but he’s a more dangerous runner, and that could even open the door to playing both of them until Underwood becomes more comfortable throwing the ball.
The one big variable there is Oregon’s offensive coordinator situation, since the Ducks just fired theirs. That hire will matter a lot for quarterback recruiting. If Moore comes back and Raiola transfers to find a place where he can start, Underwood could follow Moore’s path almost exactly.
USC rounds out the list. Jayden Maiava is a redshirt senior, so he won’t have another year left after this one, and there isn’t an obvious heir apparent waiting to take over. USC does have talent in the quarterback room, but Lincoln Riley has already shown what he can do with quarterbacks, including Jalen Hurts.
Underwood would have to learn a new system, but Riley has had success with dual-threat quarterbacks and would know how to get the most out of him.
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For a program that leans on its band as part of the game-day atmosphere, the uncertainty is a notable wrinkle on the road. South Carolina officials are focused on making sure everyone gets back safely, but the band may not be in position to perform at the game, leaving one of the more familiar staples of the experience in doubt. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Just Showed South Carolina A Rival Weakness Worth Watching
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For South Carolina fans, the result is worth filing away because it exposed a vulnerability in a rival that will matter if Clemson has to chase games against better competition. The Tigers still have time to settle in during the 2026-2027 season, but the way Georgetown controlled the opening stretch is the kind of weakness opponents will keep trying to exploit. [Read more 🡒]