Bryce Underwood, by any measure, was one of the most highly regarded recruits in the history of the storied Michigan Wolverines football program.
The quarterback has yet to live up to that hype, though, and now in his sophomore season, Underwood has some fans wondering if it’s time to bench him.
He wasn’t great as a true freshman. He completed 60.3% of his passes for 2,428 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Underwood also ran 88 times for 392 yards and six touchdowns.
Still, that was his first year of college football in a sport filled with experienced, talented transfers all over opposing defenses.
The hope, of course, was that Underwood would be better this season, but it hasn’t happened so far.
Through five games in 2026, Underwood is completing 59.3% of his passes for 881 yards with five TDs and four INTs. He has also run 57 times for 212 yards and two touchdowns.
Michigan is 3-2 through its first five games, and its hopes of doing anything this season will depend on beating Penn State on Saturday, Oct. 17, to at least start some positive momentum.
If Underwood continues to struggle, though, Michigan will have to at least consider an alternative.
Who is Michigan’s Backup QB?
Michigan’s backup quarterback is the true freshman Tommy Carr.
The Wolverines also have an experienced transfer QB from Colorado State, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, as well as youngsters Chase Herbstreit and Brady Smigiel.
The expectation would be that if Underwood went on the sideline, Carr would go in the game.
Carr has gotten one appearance through Michigan’s first five games in 2026. He completed 2-of-2 passes for 23 yards and a touchdown as well as running twice for 18 yards. That was during the Wolverines’ 52-17 win over UTEP.
And yes, Carr also has a generations-long Michigan connection.
Tommy Carr’s Relation to Lloyd Carr
Tommy Carr is the grandson of the former Michigan head coach, Lloyd Carr.
Lloyd coached Michigan to the 1997 national championship.
Carr’s maternal grandfather, Tom Curtis, actually was an All-American safety at Michigan himself.
And Tommy Carr’s father, Jason, was a backup QB for the Wolverines in the 1990s.
Tommy Carr’s Relation to CJ Carr
Tommy Carr is the younger brother of Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr.
The Fighting Irish star is just about the only member of the Carr family to go on a path that didn’t take them to Ann Arbor.
But CJ is certainly a standout talent, and that likely points to a lot of ability possessed by Tommy Carr, as well — it’s just a wait to see when he might get his chance.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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