Michigan

Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore shares when he plans to make starting QB decision

Published

10 months ago

May 1, 2025

Press Room

Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore shares when he plans to make starting QB decision

Michigan’s quarterback competition is ongoing, with no clear frontrunner emerging during spring practice.
Five-star recruit Bryce Underwood and transfer Mikey Keene are vying for the starting role, but Keene’s injury limited his participation in spring practice.

The Michigan football quarterback competition this past spring did not play out as expected.

The Wolverines brought in the nation’s No. 1 recruit, five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood from up the road in Belleville. The outside expectation was for him to take over the room and run away with the job. But he is 17 years old and this is not only the Big Ten, but an important season for Sherrone Moore and company to get back to the top tier of the sport.

The end of last year was a thrill. Mopping Northwestern by 44 points created the belief that turned into a 13-10 victory over Ohio State in Columbus the following week as underdogs by more than three touchdowns. Once that happened, nobody could limit the Wolverines, who played without all seven of their now NFL draft picks, yet still defeated Alabama 19-13 in the Reliaquest Bowl.

It was a sky-high finish to the year, but frankly, an 8-5 record is not what cuts it in Ann Arbor. They knew they could perhaps need a Plan B.

That’s why U-M not only brought in new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, but a veteran quarterback he was familiar with from their time at University Central Florida. Mikey Keene, who has more than 2,200 collegiate snaps under his belt and was a solid starter both at UCF and more recently Fresno State, was expected to push Underwood for the starting role.

Instead, those in the Michigan football program confirmed that he did not take a single snap in practice this spring as he continued to rehab from an undisclosed injury. With Davis Warren, last year’s starter, also on the mend from a torn ACL, that left just two healthy quarterbacks in Underwood and Jadyn Davis to take all of the snaps this spring.

“(We) handled it and he’s doing well now,” Moore said of Keene after the spring game April 19. “He’s throwing, he’s in a good place, and (we) felt like pushing it to end the spring that way. … we feel like he’s in a good place.”

“We’ll have Mikey, evaluate and see where Davis (Warren) is. But we’ll see what that situation looks like (if we want to add another quarterback into the room).”

Coaches and players are saying all the predictable lines about how the competition has progressed. Whenever somebody is asked about how Underwood has looked, more often than not, they reference the room as a whole, like when Derrick Moore told Big Ten Network after the spring game, “I got confidence in both them boys.”

But the public got to see more than enough April 19, when Underwood quarterbacked the Blue team and Davis the Maize team, and Underwood didn’t exactly thrive. In his first live snaps at Michigan Stadium in front of a crowd, Underwood completed 12 of 26 passes for 187 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. The score and nearly half the yards (88) came on a trick play on the final snap of the game.

Davis, meanwhile, didn’t have the same type of play to pad his stats. His final line was rough, completing six of 17 passes for 75 yards and two interceptions. Of those, one-third of them came on a free play jumpball to Donaven McCulley after the defense jumped offsides. That means he was 5-for-16 for 50 yards on plays where something negative could happen.

These are the reasons Keene was brought in, to be genuine competition for Underwood, not forced competition. Instead, it hasn’t played out that way, and it’s hard to not think the 17-year-old QB has the inside track to be the starter in the season opener against New Mexico.

But when will Moore make the decision?

“It usually carries into fall camp,” Moore told On3’s JD Pickell. “All the real good battles I’ve been a part of, you can say something in spring, but it changes, so we’re gonna take our time with the process of who that person is.

“It’s probably going to go into fall camp and then probably a week before the game, the first game, make a decision and make the announcement then.”

Keene is now throwing and is expected to be “full go” in June, so don’t count him out just yet.

While the expectation remains for the job to be Underwood’s, Moore recently told team color commentator Jon Jansen on an episode of Inside The Trenches there’s a lot more to playing quarterback than just making throws. He discussed their ability to dissect defenses pre-snap and make smart, sound decisions post-snap.

He talked about making sure the work ethic remains consistent, never wavering just because they’ve arrived at a place like Michigan. But perhaps most importantly, sometimes the biggest part of being the guy, is being the guy.

“They’ve made the throws, the reads. … but they got to become the leader of the team,” Moore said to Jansen about what he’s looking for. “We talk about the offensive line running the team, well somebody’s got to lead it.

“You’ll know at some point who that person is.”

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Hail Yes!” your go-to Michigan Wolverines podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

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Michigan

New Michigan O-line coach Jim Harding has one goal for spring practice

Published

2 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

New Michigan O-line coach Jim Harding has one goal for spring practice

Jim Harding, Michigan’s new offensive line coach, has one goal coming out of spring practice: he wants to have a set starting five plus a solid sixth lineman for good measure.

Michigan begins spring practice March 17 and concludes with the spring game on April 18.

Harding, appearing on the Michigan in-house podcast, “In the Trenches” hosted by Jon Jansen, joined new Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham’s staff from Utah, where Whittingham was head coach the last 21 years. Harding spoke about a number of topics, including returning to the Midwest — he grew up in Maumee, Ohio, and his wife is from Farmington Hills — and his love for the Detroit Tigers, but most important was his discussion about building the Wolverines’ offensive line.

“I’d like to establish the starting five where you feel good that when you go into fall camp,” Harding said on the podcast that posted Wednesday. “Those are the guys that are working together immediately from Day 1.”

Harding said he uses a sixth lineman — he terms that player the “rhino” — quite a bit and would like to have at least two ready to go. The Wolverines also need depth at center considering only Jake Guarnera has snapped in a game.

“And then just having that physicality, nastiness of the offensive line,” Harding said. “Just kind of develop that.”

Since arriving earlier this year at Michigan, Harding said he’s been impressed by the linemen and their desire to work hard on conditioning and developing their craft by asking questions and wanting feedback. They have gone to dinner as a group to get to know each other away from the facility, and Harding has enjoyed the process.

“The things that you can’t measure right now is our physicality or our toughness, things like that,” Harding said. “I’m confident that it won’t be an issue, but that’s kind of the next step once we get pads on, (finding out) who are kind of the Alpha dogs in the room that are going to set the tone for the unit, and then, obviously, the offense. But really pleased with what I’ve seen so far.”

Harding shared offensive coordinator Jason Beck’s approach to installing the offense.

“The way (Beck) runs it, everything’s on the table Day 1 in practice,” Harding said on the podcast. “So we’ll get a script with, if you count red zone, probably 60 or so plays, and any play can be called. It’s really unique, and I’d never done it this way, but Coach Beck, actually calls it like he does in the game. There are no scripts, and so we’ll just move the ball down the field, and if it’s a third play and it’s third and 3, well he’s going to call a third-and-3 call.

“So you really have to have the kids prepared for all 60 of those. And then the next day there’ll be maybe different formations and things like that once we get the concepts down in the O-line room for the run game. Now it’s just a matter of dressing up different things. It’s a lot of stuff early on, because every run scheme we have could be called on that first day, every pass protection we have could be called on that first day. So it’s a front-loaded installation.”

achengelis@detroitnews.com

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Michigan

Bills to end concealed carry permit requirement introduced in Michigan House

Published

14 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Bills to end concealed carry permit requirement introduced in Michigan House

LANSING, Mich. — A group of Republicans in the Michigan House say Michiganders’ second amendment rights are being infringed, as they introduce legislation to end requirements for concealed carry permits.

Right now, Michiganders must obtain a permit to carry a concealed gun, with a base fee of $100.

As part of the process, applicants must also receive training.

“The first thing they do is put you in a classroom, make sure you know all proper range and safety procedures, run you over what the law states about when and if you’re allowed to use your firearm,” Jonathan Hold, president of the Michigan chapter of Giffords Gun Owners for Safety and a firearms instructor, said. “It gives a really good grounding.”

Applicants must demonstrate four hours of range time as well.

The group of House Republicans feel this is an undue burden, noting many gun owners are already knowledgeable.

They also believe the current five-year felony for carrying without a permit is too steep.

“For the government of the state of Michigan to tell that that we have to be qualified under the guise of their rules in order to protect ourselves is a far cry from what the constitution provides for us,” Rep. Jay DeBoyer, (R- Clay) said.

The package of bills wouldn’t abolish permits, as they are necessary to take guns outside of the state, but it would institute what’s called “constitutional carry.”

That means Michiganders can carry a gun on them without a permit.

Twenty-nine other states already adopted such policies.

“When we exercise other first amendment rights like our right to speak, we do not have to get a permit or permission from the government to speak,” Rep. Jim DeSana (R- Carleton) said. “When we exercise our right to worship, we do not have to go get a permit or permission to go worship.”

Supporters say concealed guns are important for self-defense, and can also help stop crime.

“It’s going to encourage and increase safety for all,” Rep. Joseph Fox (R- Fremont) said. “It’s about protecting everybody because if there are guns in this situation, and people are worried for their lives, they’re gonna stay back away from evil and making bad choices.”

Gun control advocates like Gold, however, say it’s “ridiculous” not to have guardrails.

“We’re talking about the power of life and death at a distance,” Gold said. “To send an untrained user out into the world with a firearm is a mistake.”

He also takes issue with the constitution argument.

“The constitution says as part of a well regulated militia, if you read the second amendment, and we don’t have well regulated militias in this country,” Gold said. “At the very least, what we should have are trained firearms users.”

A similar effort to end concealed carry permits failed to gain traction last year in the Michigan Senate, and with the landscape unchanged, the bills likely have an uphill battle to become law.

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Michigan

Werewolf, trout ruled in ’24. What will be next ‘I voted’ sticker

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Werewolf, trout ruled in ’24. What will be next ‘I voted’ sticker

The rewarding feeling of wearing an “I Voted” sticker after turning in your ballot is something everyone can relate to.

Michigan voters can take it one step farther and vote on the design for the Election Day tradition.

The Michigan Department of State announced on March 3 the return of the highly competitive “I Voted” sticker contest in preparation for the state’s general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

“Our first-ever ‘I Voted’ sticker design contest in 2024 was a massive success,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a March 3 release. “This year we look forward to seeing the creative ways Michiganders of all ages celebrate democracy. Submit your entry to help us continue the tradition and get voters excited to cast their ballot this fall.”

Designs are being accepted online via the Secretary of State’s “I Voted” webpage: Michigan.gov/IVotedSticker. On the page, participants may print or download the official entry form.

Design and entry rules, the sticker template, and tips and suggestions are included on the official entry form.

There are three categories — elementary/middle school (grades K-8), high school (grades 9-12) and Michigan residents of all ages. Designs are due at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 1.

Once submissions are closed, the public may vote for finalists online in June. Winners will be announced and celebrated later in the summer. Winning stickers will be dispersed to local election clerks for the November Election.

In 2024, there were more than 480 submissions, and more than 57,700 voters selected the nine winners, according to the release. Before the contest opened up for a public vote, the Michigan Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force members narrowed the submissions down to 25 semifinalists.

Here’s the 2024 winners and rules for the 2026 participants:

What did the winning 2024 ‘I Voted’ sticker designs look like?

Want to enter a design? Here are the ‘I Voted’ sticker contest rules

According to the Secretary of State, here’s what to keep in mind for your sticker:

Designs must be completed using official entry form.
Designs must include the phrase “I voted” AND be nonpartisan in nature.
Artwork must be original, non-AI generated, and not contain copyrighted or trademarked designs.
Entries can be created using your preferred method (digital, paint, crayon, mixed media, etc.)
Provide as high quality of resolution as possible when submitting your design.
There are three categories — elementary/middle school (grades K-8), high school (grades 9-12) and Michigan residents of all ages. You may enter one design in one category.
Designs are due at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 1.

Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@lsj.com

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