Michigan expected to start Tommy Carr at QB vs. Rutgers

Michigan is expected to start Tommy Carr instead of Bryce Underwood vs. Rutgers following making a change last week for the Indiana game, On3’s Pete Nakos reports. Carr got the nod over Underwood after the latter’s struggles. In the 13-6 overtime loss to the Hoosiers, Carr got the whole game, although Underwood came in for packaged plays. Carr was 20-of-32 passing for 167 yards and one interception. Underwood did not throw a pass. $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage Coming into the Indiana game, former coach Nick Saban claimed the competition between Carr and Underwood would ultimately be beneficial for both parties. Basically, someone would come out of the fire with a little more pep in their step to jumpstart the struggling offense. “I think competition is good,” Saban said on The Pat McAfee Show. “I think that complacency is actually bad, and when somebody thinks they’re not responsible [to] perform well, that’s probably not good for you as an individual and it’s probably not good for your teammates who are looking at you to play a little better and do a little more for your team. “I’m not in that situation, so I don’t know what gives them the best opportunity to win. But based on last week’s performance, it was certainly a shot in the arm for Michigan when Tommy Carr came in.” During the Week 7 game against Penn State, head coach Kyle Whittingham made a mid-game quarterback change. Underwood did not play in the second half while Carr took over and helped the Wolverines to the victory. Carr completed 5-of-7 passes for 47 yards in the air while rushing for 36 yards and a touchdown, which turned out to be the game-winner. Underwood, a second-year starter, struggled again in a new offense. Through six games, Underwood completed 58.1% of his passes for 924 yards and five touchdowns, along with a Big Ten-leading six interceptions. After the game, Whittingham kept it close to the vest when asked whether Underwood would remain the starter. He told reporters he was “not prepared to make that decision yet,” but said Oct. 19 the staff knew who would start against Indiana. Underwood’s recruitment to Michigan was a massive storyline going into the 2025 season. Originally an LSU commit, Underwood flipped his commitment to Sherrone Moore and the Wolverines while also landing a massive NIL deal. His On3 NIL valuation is at $3 million. As a member of the Class of 2025, Underwood was a five-star-plus recruit out of Belleville (Mich.) High, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He was the No. 1 overall prospect in the state, the No. 1 quarterback in the class and the No. 1 overall prospect in the class.