The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 11 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS He Will Play, But Won't Start Right Away By Chris Balas Michigan has had some great freshman quarterbacks over the years, but very few have started from Day 1. Chad Henne (2004) and Tate Forcier (2009) were the most recent — Henne went on to have great success, while Forcier flamed out. The one thing U-M coaches don't want to do is throw five- star Bryce Underwood into the fire before he's prepared. He's a "generational talent," per most recruiting services, but he's going to need pieces around him, too, in order to succeed. Specifically, the offensive line and wide receiver rooms need upgrading and outstanding coaching. Henne had an elite supporting cast including Braylon Edwards at wide receiver, Mike Hart at running back and a very good of- fensive line. Devin Gardner is an example of an outstand- ing quarterback prospect who might still be playing had he been put in a better position. We'll never forget the pounding he took at Michigan State in 2013 thanks to an offensive line that simply couldn't block. So … we expect the U-M coaches to find a portal quarterback with experi- ence to at least split time with Underwood, maybe a platoon like the Cade McNamara/J.J. McCarthy duo of 2021, only with a bigger role for the fresh- man. That will allow him to ease into college football before taking over as "the man" in 2026. Michigan Has Found Its Guy By Clayton Sayfie Michigan hasn't had a freshman starting quarterback since Tate Forcier in 2009, but that's about to change early in the 2025 season, we predict. Five-star-plus signee Bryce Underwood isn't just the No. 1 quarterback in the 2025 class — he's the top overall recruit, Michigan's second in the On3 Industry Ranking era (since 2004) and first since defensive lineman Rashan Gary in 2016. The Wolverines will likely bring in a quarterback from the NCAA transfer portal, and ideally that individual would be the main player behind center — but what kind of options are out there? Will they want to join a position group with a talent like Underwood or go somewhere else they have a higher chance of starting? A great one could emerge, but unless it's someone who's proven they can play at a high level in the Power Four, Underwood will be tough to beat out. "No matter who they bring in or who's there, no matter what I'm still going to compete," Underwood said. The two other No. 1 overall prospects this decade that are quarterbacks — Quinn Ewers in 2021 and Arch Manning — both sat for their freshman seasons. However, they stepped into rooms in much better positions at Ohio State and Texas, respectively. Michigan, meanwhile, has had a revolving door at quarterback this season. ❱ POINT ❙ COUNTERPOINT ❰ WILL BRYCE UNDERWOOD START RIGHT AWAY AT MICHIGAN? Matt Barkley (USC, 2009), Trevor Lawrence (Clemson, 2018), Quinn Ew- ers (Ohio State, 2021; transferred to Texas), Arch Manning (Texas, 2023) and Bryce Underwood (Michigan, 2025). That's the entire list of quar- terbacks who have been ranked No. 1 overall in their recruiting class since 2004, the beginning of the On3 Indus- try Ranking era. In flipping Underwood — a 6-foot-4, 208-pounder out of Belleville (Mich.) High — from LSU, Michigan didn't just reel in a five-star prospect, it signed the top-rated player in America. It's only the second time the Wolverines have done so, with New Jersey defen- sive lineman Rashan Gary in 2016 be- ing the other occurrence. There are no "sure things" when it comes to college football recruit- ing or the NFL Draft. But being the No. 1 prospect in a class is as close as it comes to that. Former Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson, South Carolina edge Jadeveon Clowney, Texas A&M edge Myles Garrett, Law- rence and many others had immensely successful college careers before being high selections in the NFL Draft, after being rated No. 1 as a prep star. From 2004-20, all but one of the No. 1 overall recruits were drafted to the NFL, and three of them wound up being the No. 1 overall selection in Lawrence, Garrett and Clowney. In to- tal, 11 of those 17 players were chosen in the first round. Of the 16 that were selected — former Georgia defensive lineman Trenton Thompson went un- drafted — their average spot was the No. 37 pick. There have been 17 No. 1 quarter- back recruits from 2004-20 who've gone to the NFL. Of that group, 10 were picked in the draft, including five in the first round — Bryce Young (No. 1 over- all), Lawrence (No. 1), Jameis Winston (No. 1), Matthew Stafford (No. 1) and former USC quarterback Mark Sanchez (No. 5). — Clayton Sayfie MICHIGAN LANDS NO. 1 OVERALL RECRUIT FOR SECOND TIME UNDERWOOD Class No. 1 Overall Recruit No. 1 QB No. 1 QB's On3 Industry Rank 2025 QB Bryce Underwood (Michigan) QB Bryce Underwood (Michigan) 1 2024 WR Jeremiah Smith (OSU) QB DJ Lagway (Florida) 3 2023 QB Arch Manning (Texas) QB Arch Manning (Texas) 1 2022 DT Walter Nolen (Texas A&M) QB Cade Klubnik (Clemson) 18 2021 QB Quinn Ewers (OSU) QB Quinn Ewers (OSU) 1 2020 DT Bryan Bresee (Clemson) QB Bryce Young (Alabama) 2 2019 LB Nolan Smith (Georgia) QB Spencer Rattler (Oklahoma) 15 2018 QB Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) QB Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) 1 2017 EDGE Jaelan Phillips (UCLA) QB Davis Mills (Stanford) 22 2016 DL Rashan Gary (Michigan) QB Shea Patterson (Ole Miss)* 5 * transferred to U-M in 2018