Sherrone Moore's Big Decision

Coach Moore is all smiles in '25

The biggest headline of the college football offseason was arguably when the Michigan Wolverines landed Bryce Underwood, the #1 recruit in the nation, to be their QB of the future. The biggest question then became: when does the future become the present? If I was Sherrone Moore, which I am not, I wouldn't handle the current Michigan quarterback competition any differently. Moore doesn't plan to name the starter, at least not publicly, until game week.

After a 2024 season in which the Wolverines basically didn't have a QB, Moore and his coaches have stocked the QB room with plenty of options. So why make a decision any sooner than necessary? The first game of the season isn't for another 2-1/2 weeks, and there's still plenty of practice and plenty of QB reps to go around. Besides, why give the teams on Michigan's schedule any advance notice of how to prepare for the Wolverines' offense?

If I had to speculate, or if I were Coach Moore, I'd guess that Mikey Keene takes the field with the starters when Michigan opens the season against New Mexico. But I'd also make sure that after a couple of series, Underwood will make his Michigan debut. It will be a great opportunity for Underwood to get his feet wet and experience major college football. The Lobos won't likely present much of a challenge.

For me, it's less about the New Mexico game than it is about the following week: Michigan travels to Oklahoma to take on the Sooners. Oklahoma may not be toughest team right now, but Memorial Stadium is a tough place to play against a solid defense. Handing the reins to Keene in Norman gives Michigan a chance to get off to a good start without putting too much pressure on their star freshman. Underwood will offer a change-of-pace off the bench as he would have vs New Mexico.

Should all go well against Oklahoma, I would not be surprised to see Underwood named the permanent starter by the time the Wolverines host Central Michigan. It's similar to how Jim Harbaugh integrated J.J. McCarthy into the Michigan offense while Cade McNamara was the veteran starter. Unlike that season, though, I would like to see Underwood take the reins from Keene before season's end. (You may recall how McNamara, a limited QB at best, was simply overwhelmed against Georgia in the National Semifinals. McCarthy didn't have enough experience at that point to provide any real boost off the bench.)

Michigan fans will be clamoring for Underwood, and rightfully so. When a player with that much talent arrives in town, you want to see him play. But Coach Moore is right to take a cautious approach. Taking half the snaps over the first two weeks will not hamper Underwood's development. In fact, by relieving the pressure on him to be the Savior in Week 1, Moore will allow Underwood to shine by season's end.