What looked like a massive win when Dan Portnoy, Sherrone Moore and Michigan clawed Bryce Underwood from the clutches of LSU two years now looks like a nightmare for the Wolverines. Much was expected of the No. 1 overall recruit entering his second season as a collegiate starter. In Saturday's season opener against Western Michigan, though, all of last year's problems — especially in the pocket — reared their ugly head, no matter how lucky Michigan was to escape with a highly controversial win.
Much of this mess can be laid at the feet of Moore, who is no longer the coach. But on Saturday, Underwood showed that, at least in early returns, the problems which faced him in 2025 are still not fixed in 2026. In the passing game, Underwood had a 54.1 percent completion rate, going 12-for-22 for 170 yards with one touchdown and one interception, numbers that look much worse with the last-second Hail Mary removed. And all of that came with JJ Buchanan and Anthony Marsh giving Underwood and the Wolverines two good Big Ten receivers and a run game that was expected to be something to lean on.
Bryce Underwood's lack of development puts his future at Michigan at stake
But none of that came to fruition, and the biggest reason was the struggle of Underwood to see the field and make plays. With the transfer portal being an option after this season for both Michigan and Underwood, it is an interesting conundrum for both parties. Whether Underwood will want to stay with Michigan is just as mysterious at the moment as whether Michigan will want him back — or whether they'll cut their losses and be done.
It's still early, of course. But it will take a lot of work to get ready for an upcoming game against an elite Oklahoma defense in Week 2 — not to mention a Big Ten slate which does the Wolverines no favors, as they will need to play Iowa, Penn State, Indiana and their annual rivalry to finish the year at Ohio State. Rutgers and UTEP are legitimately bad football teams, but they are the only games on the remainder of the schedule which you can write a victory in pen.
Otherwise, this Michigan team, especially if Underwood remains the quarterback all season, is vulnerable against the entirety of their schedule. Something that no one wants to think about, especially with Underwood being paid $12 million to attend the university, is the thought of benching him for freshman Tommy Carr. Not only is Carr the brother of Notre Dame starting quarterback CJ Carr, he is also the grandson of Michigan legend Lloyd Carr, who led the Wolverines to the national title in 1997.
At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, Carr has the size to fit into the offense of Michigan when needed. There has already been a lot of chatter throughout the program about how good Carr looks, and whether he's surpassed Underwood. If Underwood continues to play the way he has, or if he completely loses it against Oklahoma and Michigan gets routed, Whittingham could be forced to make the change at quarterback for the health of his program moving forward. This will be a challenging situation to manage in Ann Arbor, and making the wrong decision can set Michigan’s program back even further than already done by putting their eggs in the Underwood gasket.
By moving on from Underwood following the Oklahoma game, it will also allow Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck to get a solid, in-depth look at Carr. This way, the duo can decide whether to move forward with the would-be sophomore in 2027 or whether the team needs to make a major move to roster a veteran to start in 2027 and hope Carr is ready in 2028.
Michigan could look to replace Bryce Underwood in the transfer portal
Whatever the team decides to do next season, whether it be moving forward with Carr or going after a player like Marcus Stokes from Memphis or either one of the current backup quarterbacks at LSU in Husan Longstreet or Landen Clark, they will need to decide early in the offseason. The two most intriguing players listed are the quarterbacks in Baton Rouge.
Longstreet, who verbally committed to Texas A&M before signing with UCLA and then transferring to LSU, has a lot in common with teammate Clark. Both can launch the ball with a strong arm that can find receivers deep down the field. Although Longstreet was unable to show off this talent as a freshman at UCLA, Clark had the ability to do so at FCS Elon, and this is what caught the attention of Lane Kiffin. Kiffin, who brought Clark in as the third-string quarterback for the 2026 season, put Clark in the game on Saturday over Longstreet in the QB2 role. This may have been a coincidence, or, it may have been a sign of things to come. Either way, whichever player looks like they will not get the starting position with the Tigers will be looking for another home — perhaps one at the school up north.
Potential Bryce Underwood transfer destinations if slide continues
For Underwood, the feeling of his triumphant return to LSU after spurning them last season is a pipe dream. Underwood instead looks like a five-star quarterback who needs to take a step down in competition (or take the Dante Moore/Dylan Raiola route, going to a school with an established starter to learn for a season before finding his place).
Mason Heintschel, the sophomore quarterback at Pitt, finished Week 1 throwing 31-of- 41 for 453 yards, an ACC record seven touchdowns and zero interceptions. If he continues to play well, he will be cemented as the starter at Pitt, and Underwood would fill in nicely behind him before taking over in 2028 with Heintschel being a top draft pick before the 2028 season.
If, on the other hand, Underwood is determined to remain a starter in 2027 no matter what, Texas Tech might take a chance on him, or he can still transfer down to a school like Memphis or Boise State where he will have a talented roster surrounding him and he can build his confidence before moving back up to the power-conference ranks in 2028. All options are on the table for both parties. The only thing clear is that this is a partnership which needs a separation agreement — pre-nup or not.
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