Bryce Underwood faces competition for Michigan QB1 job as insider details Wolverines OC's preferred signal caller

Michigan invested a lot to lure Bryce Underwood down to Ann Arbor. The quarterback, who is the consensus No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2025, was long committed to LSU before flipping to the Wolverines a month before the Early Signing Period. Following that massive offer, he is being touted to start as a true freshman.

However, Underwood appears to have competition for the QB1 job. Mikey Keene, a graduate transfer who came in through the portal, is back after missing spring ball with an injury, and OC Chip Lindsey considers him to be the thick of the QB battle.

“One thing he’s got is experience, right?” Lindsey said of Keene per Michigan Daily's Sam Gibson on Saturday. “… Mikey has played in an offense that is similar from a passing game standpoint. So, yeah, I think that opportunity is still there for him. We’ll just see how it plays out.”

Per Gibson, Lindsey liked the comfort and "shrewdness" Keene showed in huddles. Keen played for Lindsey at Central Florida. Lindsey also laid out what he is looking for in his prospective starter.

“We’re trying to rotate those guys and put them all in those different situations and see how they respond,” Lindsey said. “… There’s nothing, nothing that replaces playing a game. But at the same time as a coach, you’re trying to do everything you can do to put them in those adverse situations. The guy that does that the best will be the guy that will go with.”

Bryce Underwood only had redshirt freshman Jadyn Davis as his competition during the spring camp. However, Mikey Keene has joined the quarterback race in the fall camp, alongside graduate Jake Garcia, who was brought in this summer from East Carolina.

Michigan OC praises 'football junkie' Bryce Underwood

At 6-foot-4, 228 pounds, Bryce Underwood is well-built for a quarterback. However, Michigan OC Chip Lindsey has been impressed by the mental part of Underwood's game.

“Physically he looks the part and all that, but really I think the surprise for me — (his) football knowledge is really high,” Lindsey said per MLive. “For a 17-year-old high school kid who just got here, pretty impressive.

"Now, learning our terminology and why we call certain things, there’s been some learning process there. But the guy’s a football junkie. He’s here early and stays late, and loves to study football.”

Michigan experienced significant struggles in the quarterback position last season, trying out three options. Having failed to return to the College Football Playoff in 2024, the program is hoping to avoid such a struggle in the upcoming season.

While Bryce Underwood is believed to have the talent to lead the Michigan offense next season, experience at the quarterback position is often crucial. It remains to be seen whether the highly touted freshman can win the job over the likes of Mikey Keene.