Michigan QB competition: Sherrone Moore reveals 'open' battle for starting job

With training camp on the horizon, all eyes are on freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood at Michigan. However, Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore said the QB competition will be “open” head into practice.

Underwood is one of three quarterbacks vying for Michigan’s starting job along with East Carolina transfer Jake Garcia and Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene. Last year’s top recruit is generating plenty of buzz ahead of his freshman year, but Moore did not declare a starter during his podium session at Big Ten Media Days.

Instead, Moore confirmed Michigan does not have a starting quarterback yet. He also said a decision will come once one of the QBs “has the team.”

Michigan’s Sherrone Moore on QB1: “Before anyone asks, it’s an open competition. There is no starter. When they ‘have the team’ we’ll know we have our starter”

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 24, 2025

“Before anyone asks, it’s an open competition,” Moore said, via On3’s Brett McMurphy. “There is no starter. When they ‘have the team’ we’ll know we have our starter.”

Underwood was the crown jewel of Michigan’s recruiting class after the Wolverines flipped his commitment from LSU. He was the No. 1 overall player from the 2025 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.

The Detroit native continues to dominate the conversation ahead of his freshman year despite the ongoing conversation. Some of Underwood’s teammates, such as linebacker Ernest Hausmann, praised the way he fits in with the rest of the Wolverines so early in his career.

“Bryce is as good as advertised,” Hausmann said Thursday on Big Ten Network. “The thing I’m most impressed by Bryce is his maturity. You would never tell how old he is when he first came in that locker room. Just the way he conducts his business, he just fits right well with that quarterback room.”

But when Hausmann looked at the quarterback room, he said Bryce Underwood isn’t the only reason for excitement. He said Mikey Keene and Jake Garcia also bring plenty to the table, which is why he said Michigan is in good hands at the position as the competition continues.

“They’re just a bunch of hard workers,” Hausmann said of the quarterback room. “They do things behind the scenes that nobody sees, that nobody knows about. And to join that room, we’re very excited to have him be part of the football team, excited to see moving forward.”

Michigan is due to report to training camp July 28. The Wolverines will then kick off the 2025 season Aug. 30 against New Mexico.

Thomas Goldkamp contributed.