Michigan football now favored for two 2026 quarterbacks, including 5-star
Michigan football is taking no chances when it comes to bringing in the quarterback of the future. The Wolverines went a couple of cycles after J.J. McCarthy made it to campus without getting a top-tier quarterback, and thus, the pickings were slim in 2024. Then, in 2025, the maize and blue swung for the fences and brought in Bryce Underwood, the top quarterback in the country.
It had appeared that Michigan football had its 2026 quarterback when Cocoa (Fla.) four-star Brady Hart committed last summer, but when Underwood pledged, Hart reclassified to 2025 and flipped to Texas A&M. Since, the Wolverines have been tied to a few different signal callers.
One quarterback that the Wolverines are in good shape with is Ashland (Ohio) three-star Nathan Bernhard, who has an On3 prediction from Steve Wiltfong that he put in back on April 5. But on April 20, Wiltfong put in another prediction -- without rescinding his Bernhard prediction. Previously committed to Florida State, Wiltfong now anticipates that the Wolverines will land Newbury Park (Calif.) four-star Brady Smigiel, who just recently visited campus.
Smigiel is rated highest on Rivals, where he's a five-star at No. 23 overall. The On3 Industry Ranking has him ranked 84th in the country and the eighth-best quarterback. He was expected to be a heavy lean to Washington, but the Huskies just took another QB in Derek Zammit, precluding Smigiel from likely ending up in Seattle.
247Sports' Greg Biggins compares Smigiel to former NY Giants QB Daniel Jones:
Smigiel is a big, strong armed pocket passer who has put up huge numbers since his freshman season. At the recent Under Armour Next Camp in SoCal, he had a very strong showing, with a tightened release and his usual trademark accuracy to all three levels of the field. He's very accurate down the field, knows how to change speeds and throws with really nice touch but can put plenty of heat on his throws when he needs to. He's a tough kid, will stand in and take a shot and not flinch. Great natural leader, locker room guy and teammate. Very high football lQ, dad is his coach so he has been around the game and has a good natural feel for playing the position. Has decent pocket mobility, not a great runner but can buy time and is good making throws outside the pocket. Projects as a high major Power 4 prospect with Sunday potential.
The Wolverines have also been pursuing Ryder Lyons, a five-star quarterback in 2026, but with Lyons set to go on a Mormon mission, it's unclear what the maize and blue intend to do, whether it will take Bernhard and Lyons, Bernhard and Smigiel, or some other combination.
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