Sherrone Moore still hasn’t named his starting QB. Bryce Underwood, the star of the 2025 recruiting class and that of the Wolverines’ QB room as well, is yet to be officially crowned QB1 by Moore. The HC wanted no repeats of 2024’s quarterback woes, and he got the best possible unit in its place, ahead of the season. Underwood has emerged as a serious player for the Wolverines throughout the offseason. However, the QB1 race isn’t going to be a one-sided win for him. Mikey Keene is still around at Ann Arbor and stands a fair chance at bagging that role for himself.

Underwood wasn’t even a factor in Michigan’s 2025 outlook until he decommitted from LSU just before signing day. Suddenly, Michigan’s QB1 race became one of the most anticipated ones in college football. Underwood would face returning QBs Davis Warren and Jadyn Davis. Coming in as the country’s No. 1 overall recruit does give Underwood a little edge, and all his tools and skills have made him a favorite among fans. But his biggest competitor was Mikey Keene, who came in with 3 proper years of starting experience. He missed spring ball because of an injury, widening the playing field even more for Underwood. Still, Moore has given no clear indication of leaning decisively toward either quarterback as fall camp approaches.

But Keene is back, and he is in no mood to concede the race to Underwood, who trumps the elder QB’s CFB records easily, with just his prep career. WR Jamar Browder appeared in a June 30 episode of Maize Mad Man and confirmed that Keene is still throwing the ball in practice. But the QB1 race, despite just 2 months before the season begins, is far from over. “They all look good. Any of them could start, really. It’s just gonna come down to something. I don’t know what it’s gonna come down to,” Browder said. Moore, meanwhile, continues to hold his cards close to his vest. But it will undoubtedly be between Keene and Underwood.

Underwood could have claimed the QB1 title when Keene was injured. He comes with a whopping total of 12,919 all-purpose yards and 179 total TDs. Keene, in his 4 years in CFB, has only a production that is around 3/4of that of Underwood. But Keene has an edge over Underwood: experience. 4 years in CFB is a huge deal; Keene has started in 35 games. And, he has worked with Chip Lindsey in the past. Keene brings poise, and that can’t be taught overnight.“He knows exactly where to go with the ball,” Lindsey said, in high praise of Keene. “He’ll get the protections right. He’ll execute at a high level. He’s never flinched in the moment, so to speak, when the moment is a big moment.” All of which bodes well for Michigan’s QB1 picture, especially with Underwood’s talent waiting in the wings.

With Keene and Bryce Underwood, Michigan’s QB1 hopes look good

Though Keene is not completely healthy, he is predicted to be so by August. Yet, he is already back on campus and participating in practice. He missed spring practice, but the HC wasn’t too bothered. “I did a study of all the guys that had the most snaps, and he’s played the most snaps in college football on our team, over 2,000-something snaps. A guy who’s played a lot of football understands the moments, understands the big moments, understands what it takes to be really good. He’s been a great addition for our football program,” Moore said about the QB. It’s now a fight that can swing in either direction at Michigan. On one hand, Underwood can beat Keene simply because of his raw talent. On the other hand, Keene can win the QB1 spot because of his familiarity and production in college football.

The baseline is, Michigan’s 2025 QB1 will not repeat the problems that the 2024 starters had. Josh Pate is confident that the QB room is a reliable source of talent. He said in a June 30 episode of his show, “The whole question about Bryce Underwood is, is he going to be their starter at quarterback? Well, if he’s not, I mean, Mikey Keene’s played a whole lot of football. So, it’s not that they’ll be worse; they certainly can’t be any worse at quarterback than they were last year.” Keene’s arrival dampens the hope for Jadyn Davis a bit, who was competing for the QB1 spot as a redshirt freshman.

Bryce Underwood can very well win the QB1 position at Michigan. But his age and inexperience as a Power 4 program player can be a factor that Sherrone Moore is no doubt considering as he observes the contenders. Can Mikey Keene emerge victorious in the tense battle and steal Underwood’s growing hype in college football?