Michigan escaped its season opener with a 13-12 victory over Western Michigan only after a controversial extra second allowed Bryce Underwood to complete a 47-yard Hail Mary touchdown to JJ Buchanan.
The narrow win has intensified scrutiny around Underwood, and Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham added fuel to the fire by praising true freshman backup quarterback Tommy Carr ahead of Week 2.
“Just continued what he was doing in spring. He was a good decision-maker, very poised,” Whittingham said. “Really is much more of an athletic runner than you would think just watching him. He can make you miss. He doesn’t have blazing speed, but he has the ability to make people miss.”
Whittingham also highlighted Carr’s preparation and demeanor.
“He seems to be unflappable,” Whittingham said. “Nothing really bothers the kid. He’s very calm and collected, and he’s a guy that’s very intelligent. He lives in the film room. There’s not a time I walk by that quarterback room — other than when he’s supposed to be in class, because we go to class. He studies film ad nauseam.”
Carr beat out Colorado State transfer Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi for the backup job, but didn’t convince Whittingham to name him QB1 over Underwood to start the 2026 campaign.
Whittingham’s comments arrive after Underwood struggled against Western Michigan, finishing with 170 passing yards and an interception before the last-second, game-winning Hail Mary.
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Underwood remains Michigan’s starter, but Whittingham made clear Monday that he’ll not be guaranteed endless starts.
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“He’s our QB right now,” Whittingham said. “It’s not something that’s infinite. At some point we’ve got to turn a corner, and we’ve got to see improvement.”
The Wolverines host No. 10 Oklahoma on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET in Ann Arbor.
