The Wolverine

February 2025

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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24 THE WOLVERINE ❱ FEBRUARY 2025 QUARTERBACKS BY CHRIS BALAS RETURNING STARTERS Graduate Davis Warren Warren was the surprise starter this year after beat- ing out Alex Orji, lost his job and then reclaimed it in the middle of the year. He completed 134 of 209 passes (64.1 percent) for 1,199 yards with 7 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in six starts (nine total games), but he tore his ACL midway through the ReliaQuest Bowl win over Alabama. He did seem to announce his return for the 2025 season on social media, but it appears likely he'll have a hard time getting to 100 percent before the Aug. 30 opener with New Mexico. OTHER RETURNEES Sophomore Jadyn Davis Davis, a former four-star recruit out of Providence Day (N.C.) High, played in one game — a 50-6 win over North- western — and still has four years of eligibility remaining. He could have a hard time seeing the field over Bryce Un- derwood or Mikey Keene. NEWCOMERS Graduate Mikey Keene The Fresno State transfer threw for 2,892 yards with 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this year in a 6-6 season for the Bulldogs, that coming after a 2,976-yard, 24-touchdown year in 2023. Though not big (5-11, 200), he is smart, efficient and experienced, and he expects to battle for the starting job. Freshman Bryce Underwood A 6-4, 208-pound specimen and the No. 1 overall player in the 2025 class, the Belleville (Mich.) product Underwood notched 12,919 all-purpose yards, in- cluding 11,488 passing yards and 179 total touchdowns (152 passing), dur- ing his career as a four-year starter. He registered 2,509 passing yards and 32 touchdowns against 6 interceptions while completing 71.8 percent of his passes in 2024, adding 6 touchdowns rushing with over 600 yards. He's ex- pected to compete immediately for the starting job. Freshman Chase Herbstreit A late and surprising addition to the 2025 class, Herbstreit is known as a smart quarterback who is just getting started. The 6-2, 185-pounder out of Cincinnati St. Xavier, a three-year starter at quarterback for the Bombers, went 131-for-243 pass- ing for 1,609 yards, 18 touchdowns and 5 intercep- tions as a senior. ANALYSIS Michigan will very likely have a new starter in 2025, and it's just as probable it will be a battle between the veteran transfer and the highly touted rookie — Keene and Underwood. Though it's only a matter of time before Underwood is the starter here, it's tough for freshmen to start anywhere, let alone a place like Michigan against tough competition in the Big Ten. Keene might not have been one of the highest-rated signal-callers in the transfer portal (No. 969 overall, No. 75 QB according to On3), but he's played a lot of football and has won games wherever he's been. Michigan coaches got a look at him when he led Fresno State into the Big House for the first game of the 2024 season. He threw 2 interceptions, one returned for a late touchdown, but he went 22-of-36 for 235 yards passing in the game and also notched a 16-yard touchdown. "I called him 'a broke man's Kyler Murray,'" Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said in December, comparing him to the Arizona Cardinals quarterback. "I think he's a very talented kid who is accurate on the run. We know he's tough because we hit him. I mean … we hit him. And I'm excited that he's a part of our squad." In other words, not Murray but in that mold was what he seemed to be getting at. "He's an experienced guy that's played a lot of football," head coach Sherrone Moore said of Keene. "I'm really excited about him. We played against him in the first game, so we know how tough he is. We know the type of throws he can make. I've just heard great things and tactical things about him as a leader." And that's exactly what they were looking for. Underwood wants to be pushed, Moore insisted, and they needed to upgrade the room to do that. Again, though, Underwood is the future, and he has a chance to be one of the best to ever wear the uniform if he reaches his potential. He turned heads in U-M's ReliaQuest Bowl practices — one teammate called him "The Truth" — and it wouldn't surprise anyone if he became the starter at some point in 2025. — Chris Balas PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS

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