Michigan QB depth chart: Meet Tommy Carr, others in line if Bryce Underwood gets benched

The Michigan Wolverines are just about two weeks into the season, and we already might have a quarterback controversy brewing in Ann Arbor.

The Wolverines just barely got past Western Michigan at home in Week 1. Underwood's underwhelming performance in the game has fans wondering if head coach Kyle Whittingham will make a change.

Paired with Whittingham's comments about Underwood's position on the quarterback depth chart, let's take a look at who is behind the signal-caller that could replace him.

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Will Bryce Underwood get benched? 

For now, Underwood is Michigan's starting quarterback. But if Underwood plays against No. 11 Oklahoma like he did against WMU, Whittingham could make a change.

Against the Broncos, Underwood did not play very well. He completed just 12 passes for 170 yards, and he did throw the Hail Mary touchdown pass to win the game. But he did have two turnovers, including an interception and fourth-quarter fumble, as well as a sack.

Leading up to the Oklahoma game, Whittingham was asked about whether or not Underwood's status at the top of the quarterback depth chart was permanent. He gave an honest answer, admitting that no one's spot on his depth chart is 100% permanent.

"He's our quarterback right now," Whittingham told reporters on Monday. It's not something that's infinite," Whittingham said. "We need to see improvement with a bunch of stuff... it's not just Bryce's job that's set in concrete. Nobody's job is."

This created an awkward moment when, a day later, Underwood was asked about his coach's comment. "There was comments about that?" Underwood said. He then just responded "That's cool" when the reporter described what his coach said: 

Michigan is listed as a 5.5-point home underdog against the Sooners. If Underwood plays poorly, it could prompt Whittingham to make a quarterback change. 

Underwood's backup quarterback is true freshman Tommy Carr. Carr is the grandson of legendary former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, who coached for the Wolverines from 1995-2007. Tommy's father, Jason, also played for Michigan in the 1990s. His older brother, CJ, is the current starting quarterback for Notre Dame. 

He won the back-up job before the season.  

"Tommy does a lot of similar things to Bryce in the sense of throwing and running the ball. And so from an offensive schematic standpoint, not a whole lot changes," Michigan Koy Detmer Jr. said via 247Sports. "There's different things that Bryce does better than Tommy, that we can maybe cater that to Tommy specifically, but very similar, and we'll lean on what we've done this camp and what's been well for Tommy and try to put him in a position to be successful."

At Michigan's spring game, Carr finishd 21-of-30 for 143 yards passing and rushed for 67 yards. 

Coming out of high school in Saline, Mich., Tommy was rated as a four-star prospect per the 247Sports Composite, rated as the No. 22 overall quarterback from 2026 and the No. 7 overall player in his home state.  

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Michigan QB depth chart

Behind Carr is former longtime Colorado State quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicholosi. He transferred to Ann Arbor before the 2026 season. He made 28 starts for the Rams across the last four seasons, throwing for 6,938 yards with 38 touchdowns and 29 interceptions, including another six rushing touchdowns. He has the most collegiate game experience on Michigan's roster currently.

Behind Fowler-Nicholosi is sophomore Chase Herbstreit, the son of ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit. He has not seen any game action.

Rounding out the depth chart is true freshman Brady Smiegel, who was rated by 247Sports as a four-star prospect. The Newbury Park, Calif., prospect was the No. 26 overall quarterback from the class of 2026.

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