“Nobody is promised a certain spot": Sherrone Moore challenges five-star signee Bryce Underwood's competition for QB1 spot

Sherrone Moore’s declaration that “the future is bright at Michigan” seems more like a statement of fact than mere optimism. This is largely because his coaching staff secured the No. 1 prospect in the nation, Bryce Underwood. When Michigan flipped the five-star quarterback from LSU, he was thought to be the QB1 for the Wolverines from next season.

However, quarterback Mikey Keene transferred from Fresno State to Michigan last week, which made him a competitor of Underwood for the QB1 spot. While Underwood brings undeniable star power, he is just 17 years old and fresh out of Belleville High School (Michigan).

Michigan has always been a meritocracy, where starting positions are not handed out based on recruiting rankings, and Moore is going to continue that approach.

“It’s open competition,” Moore said on Thursday (via SB Nation). “Nobody is promised a certain spot. Everybody has got to earn it, and he really understands that, even with the guys we’ve brought in. So he’s really excited to push the whole room.”

Bryce Underwood is widely regarded as a prototypical modern quarterback, drawing comparisons to the Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. His high school saw him record 12,919 all-purpose yards, including 11,488 through the air and 179 total touchdowns.

Moore lauded Underwood’s potential when speaking to 247Sports' Alejandro Zuniga in late December:

"Extremely talented. He has great arm strength. He can make all the throws. He can run. He's gonna be an unbelievable player. When that is, I don't know, and we'll figure that out."

Meanwhile, Keene offers experience and a proven track record in his college career. Across four seasons split between UCF and Fresno State, he completed 67.8% of his passes for 65 touchdowns against 28 interceptions. His extensive college experience gives him an edge over the younger Underwood in terms of readiness.

In 2022, J.J. McCarthy and Cade McNamara battled for the starting job, with McCarthy eventually emerging as the leader. This season also saw Davis Warren, Alex Orji and Jack Tuttle compete in the QB room. A similar competition is set to continue in the upcoming season between Underwood and Keene.

Future Michigan teammate leaves a message for Bryce Underwood

Michigan secured a surprising 19-13 win against Alabama in the Reliaquest Bowl on Tuesday. Despite the Wolverines' continued problems on offense, running back Jordan Marshall rushed 23 times for 100 yards, winning game MVP honors.

In the post-game interview, Marshall revealed his message to future teammate Bryce Underwood:

"I told Bryce right when we walked into the locker room, I was like, 'This isn't happening again,'" Marshall told Detroit Free Press. "We're not playing (in the ReliaQuest Bowl), we're playing for the chip. We're playing for the whole thing, the natty. That's what we want."

Bryce Underwood is the No. 1 quarterback in the 2025 class and also the top prospect in Michigan. As to whether he will start next season remains to be seen.