Sherrone Moore spent a wad of money on a quarterback who was no better than a freshman in high school. Bryce Underwood completely fell apart in the late stages of the Citrus bowl leaving Michigan a tough decision to make. Should the Wolverines spend their NIL money somewhere else or bring back Underwood under new management? These are three names that Michigan football should show interest in if it lets Underwood go shopping.
Devon Dampier-Utah
The Utah quarterback is not in the portal yet, but he could be the no. 1 target if he becomes available. Dampier was the opposite of Underwood in his bowl game appearance. 300 yards and five touchdowns for the signal caller, who has one year of eligibility remaining. Offensive coordinator Jason Beck transformed him into a reliable starter. The only caveat is he is 5'11, but he ran for over 100 yards against Kenny Dillingham's defense and Nebraska. Dampier finished in the top 10 for QBR. Dampier could take the Fernando Mendoza type of leap with the right leadership.
I don’t know what Michigan does at QB for 2026
— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) December 31, 2025
But Underwood certainly didn’t help himself tonight, Dampier did
Trinidad Chambliss-Mississippi
From Ferris State to Ole Miss, Chambliss was a Cinderella story during the college football season. He's seeking one more waiver year of eligibility. Now that he's proven that he can hang with the big boys, Michigan would be doing justice by offering him a spot, should it open up. Obviously Ole Miss and LSU will battle for his services, if he's granted that waiver. He has only been picked off three times and he did it in the mighty SEC conference.
Josh Hoover-TCU
In the last two years, Hoover has thrown for 56 touchdowns and over 9,000 yards in his career. He's been linked to the SEC, Louisville, and Indiana, amongst others. Hoover threw for 300 yards or more in five games in 2025. He's not a rushing threat, though. The last quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards in a game for Michigan was J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy had the benefits of Jim Harbaugh coaching him into the franchise cornerstone that the Vikings anticipate him being. Hoover is betting on himself to continue his meteoric rise elsewhere.