Michigan's spring game ended with a 7-6 victory for the Maize team. Key takeaways include underwhelming performance from Bryce Underwood and impressive showing by true freshman Tommy Carr.
The former five-star prospect didnât have a five-star showing in the spring game. Playing just the first quarter, Underwood was inaccurate and showed the same rawness he had last season. In all, Underwood was 3-of-9 for 22 yards. Underwoodâs footwork was poor, and his throwing mechanics were clunky. Underwood had the same habit he showed against Ohio State, where heâd either hold onto the ball too long or get fidgety in the pocket and decide to scramble and turn the play into a fire drill. Underwoodâs still just 18, and this was a very small sample size, but it wasnât an encouraging performance. At this point, there should be warranted skepticism that he can help Michiganâs pursuit of a Big Ten title and playoff push. At some point, Underwoodâs on-field performance must become more consistent; itâs a repetitive conversation about his athleticism, potential, and ceiling. To whom much is given, much is tested, and Underwood has to clean up a lot before the season begins.
True freshman quarterback Tommy Carr was the biggest bright spot in the spring game and if you didnât know who was QB1 (Underwood), one would assume Carr is the most talented quarterback on Michiganâs roster. Carr was 21-of-30 for 143 yards with 67 rushing yards. An absolutely outstanding showing for the young playmaker. Granted, this was a spring game, a glorified scrimmage in which Davis Warren once excelled. However, Carr has plenty of athleticism and has serious scrambling abilities. Carr delivered many accurate balls and had a nice touch when warranted. Carr seemed to be poised and in control of the offense, all the more impressive considering heâs been with the program just a couple of months. Brother of Notre Dame QB CJ Carr, grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, Tommy has a family tree that leads me to surmise he might have a higher ceiling than many outside observers expected. This isnât to say heâs going to push Underwood for starting duties, but itâs clear Carr has potential, and when head coach Kyle Whittingham says he has the âit factorâ, he means it. It would not be a surprise to see Carr start games for Michigan at some point in the future, even if it is a year or two down the line.
The main takeaways include Bryce Underwood's struggles, Tommy Carr's impressive performance, and the potential of Michigan's backfield.
Tommy Carr had an outstanding performance, completing 21 of 30 passes for 143 yards and rushing for 67 yards.
Expectations for Bryce Underwood are tempered due to his inaccurate play and inconsistency, raising skepticism about his impact on the team's Big Ten title pursuit.
Standout players include Tommy Carr, running back Jordan Marshall, and true freshman receiver Salesi Moa, among others.
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Michigan running back Jordan Marshall had a stellar 2025 campaign and could wind up being one of the best backs in college football this season, and thereâs a talented five-star freshman right behind him in Savion Hiter who could have a breakout campaign and earn a good share of carries. Marshall played during the non-tackling portion of the spring game and would have had a lot more yards otherwise, but still had five carries for 21 yards. Hiter had 10 carries for 44 yards and looked like a bruising runner.
What does the spring game mean? Not much, but not nothing either. Head coach Kyle Whittingham admitted the offense isnât where it needs to be, as evidenced by the first and only touchdown being scored in the final seconds of the game. However, the defenses battled, and it wasnât an embarrassing showing from an effort standpoint by any means. This is the first year under Whittingham, thereâs a new scheme on offense and defense, and itâs clear that the offense is still trying to figure things out. Further, the plays were very much vanilla in nature offensively and defensively during this scrimmage because they donât want to give away too much of what they aim to do this fall. Perhaps the best way to look at the spring game is that it was a small sample size of a month-long stretch of practices for the 2026 Michigan Wolverines team, and by the time the season rolls around, theyâll look a lot different. For better or worse.