After a 3-2 start that included back-to-back losses to Iowa and Minnesota, the Wolverines bounced back with a 21-18 win over Penn State, only to suffer a 13-6 overtime loss to Indiana, their third loss of the year putting an end to any hopes of making the College Football Playoff. Michigan did manage to beat Rutgers 28-21 on Saturday to improve to 5-3, but even that result was somewhat underwhelming considering the Wolverines entered as 16.5-point favorites against a Scarlet Knights team with just two wins. Still, the biggest question surrounding the program has been what's going to happen with star quarterback Bryce Underwood, who was benched in favor of true freshman Tommy Carr during the Penn State game.
Carr has since started the last two games, going 1-1 as the starter. On Monday, head coach Kyle Whittingham confirmed that Carr will remain under center against Michigan State this Saturday and for the "foreseeable future." More news: Firing Head Coach Mike Norvell Comes With Insane Cost for Florida State Carry was a four-star recruit and the No. 22 QB prospect in the 2026 class, choosing Michigan over offers from Miami (Ohio), Iowa State, Rutgers, Wake Forest, and others. He's the younger brother of Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr and the grandson of former Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr, who won a national championship at Michigan in 1997.
In four appearances this season (two starts), Carr has completed 72.1% of his passes for 503 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, along with 114 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He put together his best performance of the season on Saturday against Rutgers, going 22 of 27 for 266 yards and one touchdown without an interception, along with 54 rushing yards and two rushing scores. More news: Big 12 Addresses More Controversial Officiating in BYU-Arizona State Game More news: Lincoln Riley Sends Strong Message After USC Stuns Ohio State While Carr's looked good, especially for a player in their first college season, the decision is still striking because of who Underwood is.
He was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class, and reportedly signed an NIL deal worth around $12 million to flip his commitment from LSU. Michigan built its future around him, and now he's a sophomore backup behind a freshman. All signs point to him entering the transfer portal and finding a fresh start elsewhere in 2027.
As for Michigan, with three losses already on the year, the odds of them making the postseason are very low. But they could still clinch a bowl game and finish with a winning record in Whittingham's debut season, which they'd have to look at as a victory considering everything. After Michigan State on Saturday, they'll travel to Oregon before hosting No. 5 UCLA and closing their regular season on the road at No. 11 Ohio State.
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