Bryce Underwood’s benching case grows by the week. After a 20-14 loss to Minnesota on Saturday that left the Wolverines 3-2 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play, coach Kyle Whittingham confirmed the staff has at least considered making a quarterback change. The question is no longer whether Underwood’s job is safe, it’s whether Michigan can afford to keep him in.
Underwood’s steep decline against Power Four competition
The numbers paint a damning picture. In three games against Power Four opponents, Underwood is completing just 55% of his passes for 162.7 yards per game with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Against Minnesota, he completed 10-of-21 passes for 101 yards and two interceptions without a touchdown.
“Well, you always want to think about what gives you the best chance to win throughout the entire course of the game,” Whittingham said after the game, according to USA Today. “That’s being evaluated for everybody at every position.”
That language matters. It is not a vote of confidence. After Underwood’s inconsistent opener against Western Michigan, where Michigan won after a Hail Mary with one second left, Whittingham told reporters Underwood was the quarterback “right now,” a qualifier that sparked controversy. Now, after a month of play, the pattern is unmistakable.
Michigan is averaging 16.7 points in those three Power Four games. The offensive struggles extend beyond Underwood’s arm. In the second half against Minnesota, after leading 14-7, Underwood threw two interceptions that led directly to Minnesota scoring drives, as the Gophers scored 13 unanswered points to win.
The case for benching: talent and time
Two factors make a benching realistic. First, Tommy Carr, the four-star freshman and grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, is the brother of Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr. He has impressed since arriving on campus. Second, Michigan has a bye week coming, offering time to get Carr acclimated to the first-team offense before Penn State visits Ann Arbor.
Once opened, this door does not close easily. If the Wolverines make a change, they must be certain. The bye week eliminates the excuse of not having time to prepare a backup.
Michigan’s NIL collective, Oracle founder Larry Ellison and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy flipped Underwood from LSU, backing him with a deal reported close to $10 million. Based on a $3 million 2026 valuation, Underwood earns approximately $250,000 per game. That investment feels heavier after each loss. Whittingham took over after Underwood arrived and did not make the original commitment.
The case against benching: institutional problems run deeper
Underwood is an easy target because of his recruiting pedigree and the money attached to his name. Michigan’s problems are not. The Wolverines rank 14th in the Big Ten in yards per carry and came into the Minnesota game ranked 114th nationally in penalty yardage margin.
The pass-catching room consists of two viable targets: JJ Buchanan and Andrew Marsh. No one else has more than five catches.
Underwood nearly leads the team in rushing, a role he has embraced out of necessity. There is no guarantee a freshman, no matter how talented, survives without an effective running game or a pass-catching unit capable of creating separation. Benching Underwood does not fix these roster deficiencies. It only shifts blame to a player with no margin for error.
More fundamentally: if the Wolverines continue to struggle against teams like Minnesota, which opened Big Ten play with a 27-24 win at Washington, with any quarterback, the problems are systemic. Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State loom on the schedule. Starting Carr against superior defenses without time to develop risks compounding the damage to his confidence and development.
The divergence matters now
Underwood’s NIL deal creates a unique awkwardness. He is the highest-paid player on the roster and the most obvious scapegoat. That combination is unstable.
Either Whittingham commits to him publicly and the staff shows measurable improvement in play-calling, receiver separation and decision-making, or he and Carr both know a change is coming. A quarterback living with that uncertainty will not play well.
The coach’s recent language suggests Whittingham is genuinely considering a change, not merely managing the narrative. His refusal to unequivocally back Underwood after five games, particularly after the Western Michigan opener, is different from typical coach-speak.
Michigan’s bye week is the inflection point. If Whittingham uses it to get Carr extended first-team reps, the staff is signaling Carr will play soon. If Underwood remains the unquestioned starter, Whittingham is betting for significant improvement against Indiana. The Wolverines cannot afford another performance like the Minnesota loss.
Reporting from CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports, USA Today and Sporting News contributed to this story.
