Regardless of who the starting quarterback wil be for Michigan football at the start of the 2025 season, you got the sense Thursday at Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas that head coach Sherrone Moore felt more comfortable with his options.
That's not just because of Bryce Underwood either. The five-star freshman is expected to be the starting quarterback for the Wolverines this fall, but Moore made sure it was clear that the job didn't belong to anyone yet.
Sherrone Moore: "Before anybody asks, it's an open competition. [Bryce Underwood] is not the starter right now. There is no starter. We'll find that in fall camp."
— TheWolverine.com (@TheWolverineOn3) July 24, 2025
"It's an open competition," Moore said.
The Michigan football head coach also praised veteran Mikey Keene, who started for Fresno State last season, leading the Mountain West in passing yards. He's got over 9,000 passing yards for his career, and Moore said he was "throwing" so it sounds like he'll be ready for the season.
Bryce Underwood has the "wow" factor
However, it still feels like Underwood's job to lose. Moore talked about how much the freshman has matured physically since coming onto campus. He came in at 215 pounds. Now, the 6-foot-4 quarterback is over 230 pounds, and every bit as explosive.
.@Coach_SMoore highlighted physical changes in a few players - @BryceUnderwoo16 came in at 215, and is up to 230. @EnowEtta1 came in around 250, now up to 320. @deyvid_palepale came in at 370, down to 338 pic.twitter.com/6cpVtUDMVt
— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) July 24, 2025
Players such as Max Bredeson (via Chris Balas of The Wolverine), who met with the media in breakout sessions, talked about some "wow" moments, including one where Bredeson was about to leave the building, thinking he was one of the last people, only to see Underwood studying to learn the offense.
The physical tools have wowed everyone for years. That hasn't changed, at least according to what was said on Thursday. Underwood has been every bit as good as advertised. In some areas, such as leadership, he might be even better.
It's wise for Moore to make Underwood earn the job. We've said it before and we'll say it again, there will be bumps along the way. Keene might even have a role to play, especially if Underwood is running the ball as much as expected.
This isn't going to be Michigan with J.J. McCarthy, where he really only ran in the biggest moments, when he had to, like against Ohio State or Penn State in 2022. So two quarterbacks could be needed before it's all said and done.
But there's no doubt about who is going to be the guy. That much was clear on Thursday. Just like it has been clear since the day Underwood signed with Michigan football.