Kyle Whittingham reaffirms Bryce Underwood as QB1 after Tommy Carr's spring game performance

Earlier in the offseason, Kyle Whittingham called Bryce Underwood the “clear No. 1” quarterback for Michigan’s heading into 2026. Although Tommy Carr had a strong day at the Wolverines’ spring game on Saturday, Whittingham made it clear nothing has changed – though he appreciates a good competition.

It was a low-scoring game between the Maize and Blue teams, but Carr looked the part as he led a game-winning drive to send the Maize to a 7-6 win. That meant those players got steaks as a reward while the Blue will have hot dogs as the losing team, Whittingham previously said.

Carr showcased his dual-threat ability as he made plays with both his arm and his legs. He looked more than comfortable running the offense. But entering the summer, Whittingham said Underwood is still Michigan’s QB1, and Carr will help build a “healthy” competition throughout the offseason program.

“Competition’s always a good thing, but Bryce is our guy right now,” Whittingham told Big Ten Network afer the game. “He’s a guy that’s got a ton of upside. We believe Tommy does, too. But coming out of spring, Bryce is obviously going to be No. 1. Still got some work to do, but it’s healthy. We’ll also to add another quarterback this summer, so we’ll add one more to the mix.

“We’ve just got to continue doing what we’re doing. Team-building this summer will be huge. What the players do on their own with the player-led practices, that’ll be be an important thing, as well. We’ve got to hit the ground running when fall camp comes on Aug. 5.”

Underwood only played the first quarter of Saturday’s spring game, which was before the players were able to tackle the rest of the way. He completed 3-of-9 passes for 22 yards during that time before ceding the controls to Carr. The grandson of Lloyd Carr, he went 6-of-11 for 39 yards in the air while rushing for 42 yards on the ground through the first half.

Kyle Whittingham and the coaching staff raved about Tommy Carr this offseason. Whittingham also recently told On3’s Chris Low that the freshman quarterback plays “much more mature than his years” earlier this week.

Carr was a four-star prospect as he became the No. 336 overall player from the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services. He was also the No. 23-ranked quarterback in the class.