Five Michigan football preseason camp questions: Can Mikey Keene beat out Bryce Underwood?

New York Times

2 days ago

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Following the lead of coach Sherrone Moore, Michigan players made a pact to swear off social media during preseason camp. Assuming everyone honors the deal, the Wolverines will be blissfully unaware of the online discourse leading up to their season opener against New Mexico.
'I like to think of it as going up in the mountains for a month and doing what you've got to do,' edge rusher TJ Guy said.
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Down here in the flatlands, everyone else will have plenty to discuss. The preseason coaches poll, released Monday, had Michigan at No. 14, a ranking that reflects a mix of uncertainty and cautious optimism. The Wolverines have a burgeoning talent in quarterback Bryce Underwood and a defense that should be among the best in the FBS. But Underwood won't turn 18 until midway through camp, and his supporting cast is largely unproven. A top-15 ranking is a happy medium for a team that could climb into the top 10 or just as easily finish unranked.
Guy, now in his fifth preseason camp at Michigan, said he walked off the field after Saturday's practice thinking, 'We're going to be really good.' That's a sentiment shared by most players around the country at this time of year, but the Wolverines can say it with a bit more conviction this season.
Last year's team had a long list of questions at this stage of the preseason, starting with an extremely murky quarterback picture. The list is shorter this year, but the questions that remain are significant. Here are five big ones that Michigan will try to answer in preseason camp.
At Big Ten media days in Las Vegas, Moore began his side session with reporters by issuing a declaration.
'Before anybody asks, it's an open competition,' Moore said. '(Underwood) is not the starter right now. There is no starter. We'll figure out who that is in camp, and we'll do a really good job evaluating that position to make sure we've got the best person to lead our program.'
That comment was likely a response to the widespread expectation that Underwood will take Michigan's first snap against New Mexico. That may be where things end up, but Moore is determined to keep the competition going. In doing so, Michigan is leaving an opening for Keene, a transfer from Fresno State, to show what he can do after he was sidelined by an injury in the spring.
Offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey said Michigan has 'two new guys' taking reps at quarterback, referring to Keene and East Carolina transfer Jake Garcia, who signed in June. Adding two veteran quarterbacks makes for a more traditional quarterback rotation than Michigan had in the spring, when Underwood and Jadyn Davis were the only healthy quarterbacks.
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'With two guys getting reps in the spring, it's pretty easy to rotate them, right?' Lindsey said. 'Now we're getting all those guys in the mix, and it's been good.'
Lingering concerns about Keene's injury contributed to the decision to sign Garcia, a top-50 prospect from the Class of 2021 with past stops at Miami, Missouri and ECU. Keene is 'coming along great now,' Lindsey said, and Michigan wanted another quarterback for depth purposes anyway. But even if Keene is 100 percent healthy, unseating Michigan's quarterback of the future won't be easy.
'He's 17 years old, and he's playing with 21, 22, maybe 25-year-olds,' left guard Giovanni El-Hadi said of Underwood. 'He just has that ability to lead us.'
After he decided to leave Indiana, McCulley and his father had an honest conversation with Moore about the role he could play at Michigan. The topic of wearing the No. 1 jersey came up, and Moore said it would be an option if McCulley earned it in the spring.
'I wouldn't want it any other way,' McCulley said. 'I started out with 13, earned it, and I'm still earning it right now.'
The No. 1 jersey has a history at Michigan. Anthony Carter wore it, as did Braylon Edwards and David Terrell, a wide receiver McCulley tries to emulate. Awarding that jersey to McCulley before he's played a snap at Michigan conveys an expectation that he'll be a star right away.
Last season's woes at wide receiver have been well documented, and Michigan will be counting on McCulley to provide an instant upgrade. Moore used the words 'big, tall, strong, fast and explosive' to describe his game and said he'll bring an element that's been missing in Michigan's offense since Nico Collins' breakout season in 2019.
'In the spring, he flashed more often than not being a big-play receiver,' Moore said. 'We're excited to see what he does.'
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Take McCulley out of the equation, and Michigan's receiving corps looks similar to last year's, minus Tyler Morris, who led all Michigan wideouts with 248 receiving yards. Andrew Marsh, Jamar Browder and Jacob Washington are promising freshmen, but McCulley is Michigan's best shot at having an all-conference wide receiver.
Between freshmen and incoming transfers, Michigan has quite a few summer enrollees who are getting their first action in preseason camp. Those players have ground to make up after missing spring practice, but it's not uncommon for transfers who arrive in summer to become contributors as the season goes on.
Who from that group could win a job in camp? Lawrence Hattar, a transfer from Division II Ferris State, has a shot to compete with Nathan Efobi and others at right guard. Running backs CJ Hester and John Volker could challenge for snaps behind Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall, and wide receiver Anthony Simpson brings playmaking ability in the slot, backed up by 792 receiving yards at UMass in 2023.
'He's real quick,' McCulley said about Simpson. 'I've never seen somebody move how fast he moves. I haven't seen a lot of Simp, but he's progressing.'
Most of the summer transfers are at Michigan to provide depth, not to step into major roles right away. That's the plan for Garcia, who threw for 1,426 yards with eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions last year at East Carolina. That also could be the case for punter Hunter Robertson, a late addition who transferred from Division II Clarion.
Robertson committed after punter Luke Bauer, a transfer from Missouri, changed his plans. The Wolverines already signed a kickoff specialist in Texas State transfer Beckham Sunderland and have Hudson Hollenbeck returning at punter. Robertson gives Michigan insurance at both spots.
Hill is one of the biggest enigmas on Michigan's roster. His first season as a starting cornerback began on a rough note and ended in similar fashion, but there were moments in between when Hill showed what he can do. Enough of them, in fact, that Hill's name is showing up in the first round of a few 2026 mock drafts. If he plays up to that first-round potential, Michigan could turn a vulnerability into a strength.
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'He looks way more locked in,' Guy said. 'He's making plays out there. He's going to be a different guy this year, for sure.'
Though Will Johnson missed much of last season with injuries, his departure still leaves a void. Hill was thrown into the fire last season and got torched by Texas, then dealt with a late-season demotion. The optimal scenario for Michigan is that he comes out of that experience ready to be a No. 1 cornerback who can lock down the other team's best wide receiver, much as Johnson did when he was healthy.
This title comes with a few parameters. It's not for can't-miss prospects like Underwood or offensive tackle Andrew Babalola or veteran players who are next in line for starting jobs. It's for players with enough recruiting buzz to be noticed but not enough to be considered blue-chip prospects. It's usually someone who's been in the program for a year or two, long enough to make an impression but not long enough to be a household name. And it's usually a player who makes a leap and earns snaps that, on paper, weren't necessarily up for grabs.
It's too early to anoint anyone, but linebacker Cole Sullivan is one player worth watching. Sullivan was a top-300 prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the Class of 2024 with a mix of three- and four-star evaluations. His offer list and athleticism pointed to a high ceiling, and that's been borne out with the reports of Sullivan's growth in the offseason.
Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said Sullivan 'completely changed his body,' and Moore predicted that Sullivan is going to 'take the college football world by storm.' The bar's been set, and now it's up to Sullivan to clear it. Barring injuries, he'll have a tough time unseating Ernest Hausmann or Jaishawn Barham as a starting linebacker, but Michigan has no shortage of ways to get him on the field. It won't be a shock if he emerges from camp as Michigan's No. 3 linebacker and expands his role as the season goes on.