The starting quarterback competition for the Michigan Wolverines has been decided just days before the regular season begins against New Mexico. On Monday morning, Michigan head coach shared that true freshman Bryce Underwood will be the starting quarterback.
Moore also revealed who will be the backup quarterback for Week 1.
“Really thought Jadyn Davis has really come along and taken the next steps,” Moore said. “He’ll be the two behind him. He’s done a really good job.”
Davis will be a redshirt freshman
this season after not appearing in a game last year. Davis, who’s 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, was ranked as a four-star recruit, the No. 93 overall player in the 2024 class and No. 7 quarterback. As a senior at Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina, Davis threw for 3,370 yards with 43 passing touchdowns and three rushing scores.
Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene was expected to compete for the starting job, but after being injured for the duration of Michigan’s spring practice window, it doesn’t sound like Keene is 100% healthy yet. Moore said on Monday that Keene is “working back” and has looked better the past couple of days.
Michigan is a 36.5-point favorite against New Mexico and there’s a strong chance that multiple quarterbacks are inserted into the game if it becomes a blowout. Jadyn Davis could receive the first snaps of his career, and others such as East Carolina transfer Jake Garcia and true freshman Chase Herbstreit could take snaps.
While Davis is QB2 for now, that could be a fluid situation if Keene gets healthy and Garcia continues to learn the offense after transferring to Michigan in June. For now, though, Moore said that Davis has done everything to put himself in a position to be Underwood’s backup.
“His execution throughout camp of what he did on a day-to-day basis. Not only how he studied and how he prepared, but how he practiced and the things that he did, the plays that he made in practice consistently,” Moore said. “His leadership capabilities when he went in the huddle when he was with the offense, how they reacted to him.”
