Six years ago, Michigan was searching for answers in the midst of a COVID outbreak that derailed their season. Fast forward to 2026, and the same situation is rearing its ugly head again. Many are clamoring for Tommy Carr to replace Bryce Underwood in the lineup in an attempt to salvage the season, but is Carr really the solution?
Tommy Carr could play the Cade McNmara role
In 2020, a similar situation was occurring with Joe Milton and Cade McNamara. Milton was struggling, much like Underwood is now. In a shootout win over Rutgers, coach Harbaugh decided to give McNamara a shot, and a year later that decision paid off immensely.
McNamara gave Michigan's offense life, and that is exactly what it needs now. By no means is Tommy Carr his brother, but he has a certain moxie to him that reminds me of McNamara. Of course, that would mean that Underwood would have to go to the bench and almost assuredly have one foot out the transfer door.
Taking a page from Harbaugh's playbook, Kyle Whittingham could use Underwood sparingly, as Harbaugh did with J.J. McCarthy, and let him develop in the background, while Carr plays the McNamara role. The chances of that actually happening would probably be slim because Underwood would be reduced to a lesser role, and that would feel like the final straw for the disgruntled quarterback.
Should Whittingham move to Carr, then we would presumably see more quarterback scrambles and an urge for Carr to go through his progressions so he can read defenses better, unlike what Underwood has shown. This also hinges on the offensive line protecting him better and the running game actually emerging.
However, wasting a $ 12-million quarterback to stand on the sidelines is like shunning the boosters of the program, very disrespectfully, I might add. They demand better results immediately. Nevertheless, Michigan has no more room for error in a season that looked promising following the Oklahoma victory, which feels like an eternity ago.
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