The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Q U A R T E R B A C K S THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 45 going to have a lot thrown at him if he's the starter, especially with [Sooners head coach Brent] Venables fighting for his job. He's the one calling the defenses at Okla- homa, and you're going to see some exotic looks. Now it's a matter of, how can you simplify it so you can run your offense but not make it too complicated for a quarter- back that is really learning the speed of the game and learning defenses?" Part of that comes with experience, of course. There's no substitute for it when it comes to picking up the nuances of the game, even for a player like Underwood who threw for 11,488 yards and 152 touch- downs in his prep career, both Michigan state records. The more you see, the better equipped you become to deal with differ- ent scenarios as a quarterback. That's one of the reasons nobody's dis- counting Keene as a potential starter when he returns healthy. A former student of first-year Michigan offensive coordina- tor Chip Lindsey's at Central Florida, he threw for 2,872 yards at Fresno State last year, completing 70.5 percent of his passes with 18 touchdowns against 11 intercep- tions. While he was limited physically, Keene was completely involved in every other as- pect of quarterback activities this spring. "I go in those quarterback meetings, and he's like a coach," Moore praised. "He's run a lot of the stuff that Chip has done before. It's been cool to watch him teach those young guys his thought pro- cess. He's just played football for so long, and he's been taught football. He's got a pretty good grasp on how to execute a playbook." Davis is still learning in that respect, though he got plenty of work this spring with Keene and Warren out. He and Un- derwood were the only two quarterbacks available in March and April and took all the snaps in the spring game. Davis com- pleted only 6 of 17 passes for 74 yards with 2 interceptions. Despite the sophomore's struggles, Lindsey insisted the second-year signal- Keen(e) Observer Michigan quarterback Mikey Keene had all the information in front of him when he came aboard as a graduate transfer from Fresno State in the offseason, understanding the Wolverines had brought in what some were calling a "generational talent" in freshman Bryce Underwood. U-M first-year offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey made certain of it when he called his former pupil [at UCF where Lindsey was the OC and quarterbacks coach in 2022] after accepting the Michigan job. "I just told Mikey, 'We need some more depth in this room. … You're a veteran guy. You've seen it all. At the end of the day, you'll get an opportunity." Keene, he recalled, didn't hesitate, nor was he intimidated. "I think he looked at it like, 'I get to go play at Michigan,'" Lindsey continued. "It's an iconic pro- gram. He was just blown away when I first called him and talked to him about it. We got him on a visit, and he loved everything about it. "I think he's thinking long term, too. He can connect with the Michigan alums, maybe coach one day, expand his network a little bit when his playing days are done. I think for him, he just wanted an opportunity to get some reps and compete, however it plays out." He's a team-first guy, Lindsey noted and will be an asset even if he doesn't take a meaningful snap. But make no mistake, the coach added — Keene has aspirations, too, and he won't back down from a battle. Underwood appears to be the likely starter, but the veteran Keene has thrown for 8,245 yards and 65 touchdowns in his four-year career, two at UCF and two at Fresno State. Now that he's on the mend following an upper body injury that sidelined him in the spring, he appears ready to add to the competition. "He's progressing really well and doing well throwing this summer," Lindsey said in June. "One thing about him, the guy is extremely competitive. He's a guy that every rep, he's into it. The guy studies. He's really intelligent. He's also tough. He's proven that over the years." Keene has been a great fit in the room, Lindsey added, and should catch up quickly this fall given his experience. That will give him a shot to earn playing time this season. Even if he doesn't, Lindsey said, his presence will help the team. "Mikey is a team-first guy. He fits our program," Lindsey said. "He's been a great addition and is just really valuable in the meeting rooms, watching film, making comments." — Chris Balas ❱ ❱ X-FACTOR X-FACTOR All of the hype heading into the season is on Under- wood, and rightfully so. However, graduate transfer MIKEY KEENE could be a solid safety net should there be some sort of regression or injury to U-M's prized recruit. Keene came to Ann Arbor for a chance to play and also expand his net- work heading into the next chap- ter of his career. He will still be given a fair shake for playing time in fall camp despite miss- ing much of the spring with an injury. PHOTO COURTESY FRESNO STATE ATHLETICS QUICK FACTS Position Coach: Chip Lindsey (1st year at U-M as offensive coordinator/QBs coach) Returning Starter: Davis Warren (9 career starts) Departing Starters: Alex Orji (3), Jack Tuttle (1) Projected New Starter: Bryce Underwood Top Reserves: Mikey Keene (33; 10 at UCF, 23 at Fresno State), Jadyn Davis Newcomers: Underwood, Chase Herbstreit Moved In: Keene, Jake Garcia (7; 6 at ECU, 1 at Miami) Moved Out: Orji, Tuttle, Jayden Denegal Rookie Impact: Underwood Most Improved Player: Davis Best Pro Prospect: Underwood QUARTERBACKS 2 Jadyn Davis (6-1, 205), So. 10 Mikey Keene (5-11, 200), Gr. 16 Davis Warren (6-2, 195), Gr. 19 Bryce Underwood (6-4, 208), Fr. — Jake Garcia (6-3, 203), Gr. — Chase Herbstreit (6-2, 185), Fr.