Bryce Underwood to start as Michigan QB in 2025 opener

True freshman Bryce Underwood will start at quarterback for Michigan when the Wolverines open their 2025 season against New Mexico on Saturday, coach Sherrone Moore announced Monday, naming the consensus No. 1 recruit in the class the team’s Week 1 starter. Underwood, an 18-year-old dual threat from Belleville, Michigan, beat out a crowded competition that included transfers Mikey Keene and Jake Garcia and sophomore Jadyn Davis, with Davis named the primary backup, coaches said.

Moore told reporters that Underwood earned the job rather than being handed it. "He just did the things the right way and used his skill and never tried to do too much," Moore said, adding that the freshman displayed maturity beyond his years and that the staff will support him through inevitable mistakes. Former Michigan freshman starter Tate Forcier, the last true freshman to open a season under center in 2009, expressed confidence that Underwood can handle the jump to college play, saying the Wolverines’ depth gives the young quarterback daily competition.

Underwood’s arrival caps a high-profile recruitment and a lucrative name, image and likeness arrangement that industry reports put between $10...