The Bryce Underwood era in Ann Arbor is about to begin, but it won’t come without a fight. The Michigan Wolverines’ prized five-star quarterback is set to take the field when spring practice kicks off on March 14, and all eyes will be on his every move. He’s up early, making waves at winter workouts. But while HC Sherrone Moore continues to build his staff, promoting former NFL standout Pernell McPhee to outside linebackers coach—one decision looms larger than the rest. Who will be Michigan’s starting quarterback when the Wolverines face Oklahoma on September 6? The battle is far from decided, and an unexpected warning from an insider has only added fuel to the debate.

Michigan’s quarterback competition won’t be a one-man show. Bryce Underwood is the future, but he still has to prove he’s ready to be the present. The competition includes Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene and 6’1″ redshirt freshman Jadyn Davis, both of whom bring talent to the mix. Keene, in particular, has been in these battles before. He played meaningful snaps at UCF before transferring to Fresno State, where he flashed moments of brilliance.

Meanwhile, Davis, a former blue-chip recruit, has spent the past year learning the system and developing behind the scenes. The stakes are massive, and Moore’s decision will shape the trajectory of the program. But waiting too long or handling it the wrong way could create problems. That’s where Michigan insider and Chat Sports analyst James Yoder’s warning on the Michigan Football Report channel comes into play.

“If Mikey Keene or Jaden Davis, which I doubt it, were to leave spring as the undisputed starter, taking all the number one snaps, leading the number one offense in the spring game, then I think it looks a little murky, right?” Yoder said, raising eyebrows about how Sherrone Moore might manage Underwood’s transition. “You get a little J.J. McCarthy, he’s getting in games where he’s not the starter. But I don’t think Mikey Keene is even as good maybe as Cade McNamara was, certainly in 2021.” The comparison to Michigan’s previous quarterback battles is telling.

In 2021, Cade McNamara held off J.J. McCarthy for a season, but once McCarthy got his shot, there was no looking back. If Moore takes a similar approach, it could delay Underwood’s rise—but it might also be necessary if the freshman isn’t ready to handle the pressure right away.

The reality is that no matter how talented a ball-feeder he is, there’s always an adjustment period when making the leap from high school to college football. Yoder cautioned that the maize and blue’s need to temper their expectations for Underwood’s first year.

“I’m not sure what happened to him since then. So I think that Michigan fans really need to understand that if Bryce Underwood is looking like an 18-year-old kid and throwing interceptions and making mistakes and all that stuff, this season might not be as successful as we had hoped,” he said. “And he’s going to have some growth and development to do and might not be the out-of-the-box, turn-the-program-around, Heisman Trophy guy from day one that a lot of Michigan fans are expecting.” It’s a dose of reality for a fanbase that has been dreaming about Underwood leading Michigan to glory from the moment he committed.

Coach Moore has to find the right balance between patience and urgency. Underwood’s talent is undeniable, but Moore has to ensure he’s ready before handing him the keys. At the same time, delaying the inevitable could come at a cost.

Bryce Underwood already making waves at Michigan

The No. 1 overall player in the 2025 class and LSU flip hasn’t even taken a snap in a Michigan uniform yet, but he’s already turning heads in Ann Arbor. The 17-year-old phenom, who arrived on campus this winter as an early enrollee, is wasting no time proving why he was the top-ranked quarterback in the 2025 class. Spring practice hasn’t even started, yet the buzz around Underwood is already building. According to On3’s Pete Nakos, an anonymous source had nothing but glowing praise for the young QB.

“[Quarterback] Bryce [Underwood] has been tremendous. His work ethic, his maturity, his commitment to the process.”

For a freshman stepping into one of the most prestigious programs in college football, that’s about as high of an endorsement as you can get. Underwood isn’t just talented—he’s handling the transition like a seasoned vet.