The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 53 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE BY ETHAN MCDOWELL M ichigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey visited Saline (Mich.) High earlier this year. The Wolverines were still trying to flip Georgia commit Lincoln Keyes at that time, but head coach Kyle Short floated another prospect to the new Wolverine quarterbacks coach. Tommy Carr had just wrapped up his first season as a starter. His recruitment was starting to heat up with a couple of Power Four offers but, for the most part, the 6-foot-3 signal-caller continued to fly under the radar. And that's how he liked it. Carr com- mitted to Miami (Ohio) in February before a spring showcase at Saline when he really started to garner the attention of Power Four staffs across the country. He didn't take any other visits — until earlier this month. "I always make jokes, he's unlike any other quarterback I've ever met," Short said. "He didn't really enjoy the 'recruit- ing trail,' didn't want to take visits, didn't want to open it up. He was very commit- ted to Miami (Ohio) and loved it, which is awesome. They were a great fit, and I think there's only a couple schools in the country that would be able to flip him." Michigan was one of those schools. The Wolverines kept a close eye on Carr as he put together a 45-touchdown senior season and started to build buzz around his recruitment while playing his high school football just 6.5 miles from U-M's campus. Carr took a low-key trip to Michigan with his family earlier this month, The Wolverine learned. That was a big mo- ment in his recruitment, considering he had been rock-solid with Miami (Ohio) previously. "It all happened pretty quick towards the last two weeks here," Short said. He's the grandson of former Michigan head coach and national champion Lloyd Carr and son of former U-M quarter- back Jason Carr. His brother, CJ, is Notre Dame's starting quarterback as a redshirt freshman. He has a Maize and Blue family tree, but the Wolverines were one of just seven Power Four schools to reach out. NC State was one school that pushed hard at one point. And despite all that interest, there was no guarantee he'd flip. With that said, when his high school teammate and close friend Louis Esposito heard he landed the offer, the Wolver- ine offensive line commit felt pretty good about their chances. Carr took an important phone call while at school with Esposito. When he returned after the conversation, he had a simple message for his current and future teammate. "Go Blue," Carr told Esposito. Esposito recalled that conversation and shared his excitement that they will be teammates once again at the next level. He played left tackle for Saline this fall as a class of 2027 prospect, protecting Carr as the three-star senior racked up 2,797 passing yards this fall. Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito is his father, and Short said the Wolverine assistant was at pretty much every game. Thus, the U-M staff was able to get a thorough in-person evaluation of Carr thanks to that family tie. "Me and him have talked about Michi- gan for a while and, as soon as he received that offer, I knew he was coming," Louis said. "I am so excited to play with him again. He is a great leader, great person, and an amazing football player. Truly blessed to be able to play with a high school teammate throughout college. So excited for him and his family, and I can't wait to get to work." Lindsey took on a significant role in this recruitment as U-M surged with just weeks until signing day. Carr is the second Miami (Ohio) commit to flip to Michigan this month, joining three-star offensive tackle Tommy Fraumann in the class. Both Wolverine commits spent most of their lives close to Ann Arbor before Frau- mann moved to the Chicago suburbs as a teenager. Short coached Bryce Underwood at one point during a stint on Belleville's staff. He also spent the past couple of years watch- ing Carr develop into a Power Four passer. Saline's trimester wrapped up recently, and the nation's No. 37 quarterback will join the program as an early enrollee. "He wasn't a kid that was a five-star recruit out of high school," Short said. "He wasn't a kid that had three or four years starting in high school — some of that was due to another really good quarterback in front of him with his brother — but I think that the bright spot about him, and the part that Michigan's excited about, is the growth in two years that he's shown and the potential that he has to continue to get better over the next couple of years." ❑ Legacy QB Tommy Carr Played His Way To A Late U-M Offer PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: Tommy Carr has shown really positive signs and growth as a senior, which shouldn't be surprising given this is his second full year as a starter at Saline. He has project- able size and a good frame. He looks to be well over 6-foot-3. I really like his footwork. He moves well. He has quick feet. He pairs that with strong mechanics. He's naturally accurate and throws with touch. He has a solid technical foundation, which is something we saw from his brother. He can make some plays under duress. — Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: He's a guy who is an interesting dice roll as a developmental prospect and one who is not going to have to come in and start immediately. With time, he could develop into an interesting option in Michigan's quarterback room. — Power PLAYER COMPARISON: Carr reminds me of former Tennessee and Virginia Tech quarterback Hendon Hooker, whose college career started with the Hokies but was capped off in 2022 with first-team All-SEC and SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors with the Volunteers. — Ethan McDowell Carr, the son of former U-M quarterback Jason Carr and grandson of former U-M head coach Lloyd Carr, racked up 2,797 passing yards and 45 touchdowns this fall at Saline (Mich.) High. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS