Bryce Underwood’s time at Michigan is probably over.
Tommy Carr, on the other hand, does still have time to state his case — but it might not be as much time as you’d think.
Carr got his first start last Saturday when the Wolverines lost 13-6 in overtime to the Indiana Hoosiers. After playing well in relief of Underwood in his prior game, Carr struggled against IU.
It’s a performance that already has college football analysts wondering if Carr’s starting job will be relatively short-lived.
And in this modern era of college football, if a QB loses a starting job, he doesn’t always stick around long — although to be fair to Carr, his family history at Michigan could make the equation a bit different for him.
Tommy Carr Future
The Athletic’s Antonio Morales and Manny Navarro wrote a new article this week in which they examined which programs would likely be looking for a transfer QB this offseason.
They included Michigan, which does make some sense given Underwood is likely to depart. Still, a transfer quarterback would potentially leapfrog Carr very quickly — and that’s a reality the duo acknowledges.
“Michigan’s offense is a disaster,” Morales and Navarro write. “Bryce Underwood has come nowhere close to living up to expectations. Tommy Carr hasn’t impressed — though he is just a freshman — and offensive coordinator Jason Beck has had no answers. The Wolverines aren’t likely going to roll with the same QBs next year, especially in a pressure-packed situation following a disappointing first season for Kyle Whittingham.”
Writing that that Michigan isn’t “likely going to roll with the same QBs next year” is not a good sign for Carr.
As a freshman, he’s the kind of player a coaching staff would generally like to be able to wait and see develop. But Underwood’s struggles forced Whittingham’s hand — and now Whittingham’s job security could soon force him to make another call that pushes Carr out, too.
Tommy Carr Can Make a Case
Michigan has five regular season games left.
Assuming the Wolverines don’t do something odd and go back to Underwood, that’s five games for Carr to make a case that he should be Michigan’s starter next season and that a transfer acquisition should be as his backup, not to overtake him.
That’s not a lot of time, but modern college football moves very quickly. It’s the time Carr has.
And there’s one way more than any other he could endear himself to Michigan in a hurry — when the Wolverines go to Columbus on Nov. 28 for The Game, he could beat Ohio State.
Michigan’s Tommy Carr Might Follow Same Path as Bryce Underwood