Michigan football didn’t hire Kyle Whittingham to babysit a 5-star QB | Opinion

Michigan football didn't hire Kyle Whittingham to babysit a 5-star QB Opinion.

Key points

• New Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham sat in his office this spring, before the allotted 15 practices were complete, and already was raving regarding Carr.
• Tommy Carr indicated up in Ann Arbor barely weighing 185 pounds, and his lanky body looked out of place in offseason conditioning.
• After another rough outing, is Bryce Underwood's status as Michigan starting QB under threat?
• That prudent move purchased Underwood time, and paved the way to rebuild his confidence while getting hands-on coaching from new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jason Beck.
• While Major Ten was left scrambling, then it went 16-0.

Michigan football didn't hire Kyle Whittingham to babysit a 5-star QB Opinion. Matt Hayes USA TODAY. Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham breaks down Bryce Underwood job status.

This didn't suddenly happen since the Michigan offense looks like a watered-down version of weeknight frat league games. And that's being generous.

Create no mistake, the idea that Bryce Underwood may not be the best quarterback on the Michigan roster – and therefore, the offense can't be its best – was simmering months ago.

Before the staff even had a full offseason assessment of freshman Tommy Carr. OPINION: LSU must take its SEC punishment. Or take a hike.

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"He's just got 'it.' You watch him play, and it's so obvious, " Whittingham informed me in April. "He's young, he's a freshman. But he's a ball player."

Which, of course, leads us to Underwood. This person looked anything but a ball player in a season-opening, last-second controversial victory over Western Michigan.

"He's our QB now, " Whittingham remarked Monday of Underwood. "At some point, we've got to turn a corner and we've got to see improvement." Or Whittingham will play Carr. It's as simple as that.

Look, Michigan wanted a no-frills coach, a guy who would come in and straighten out the mess left by Sherrone Moore and Jim Harbaugh and Warde Manuel and Santa Ono and everyone else on the laundry list staining one of the sport's elite programs.

Now it's time to obtain everything that comes with the Whittingham experience.

Forget regarding Underwood being the highest-paid player on the roster. Or that cash from mega booster and Oracle founder Larry Ellison paved the way to land him.

This is regarding wins and losses, and the fiasco against Western flipping Michigan in Week 1 – and as much as anything, concerning Whittingham putting his mark on this program. His way, his team, his decision.

Whittingham and his staff initially began the process of developing Underwood by protecting him, placing blame on the previous staff and its incredulous decision in 2025 to not have a quarterbacks coach. In other words, Underwood struggled as a freshman ― but it wasn't all his fault.

That prudent move purchased Underwood time, and paved the way to rebuild his confidence while getting hands-on coaching from new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jason Beck. Then Carr outplayed Underwood in the spring game, and it was obvious the documented $12 million financial foundation of Michigan's roster was shaky.

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So when Western Michigan arrived, and Underwood completed 12 of 22 passes – and but for an extra down gifted by the Major Ten replay team, would've thrown for 123 yards and an interception – the inevitable the staff tried to avoid all offseason was now staring them in the face. Carr might have to play. Right now.

To be fair to Underwood, the Michigan offensive line struggled to run block, and didn't exactly allow offensive balance. But Underwood missed too plenty of straightforward throws, and didn't see others.

He didn't have major plays that build momentum, and change tempo and direction of a game. The offense was just there. And that's a bad place to be.

After beginning the season with a scoring drive, the Michigan offense against Western Michigan looked like this: punt, punt, punt, punt, interception, punt, punt, fumble, gift from the Major Ten replay office-holders.

Among that sea of punts were four three-and-outs, and a three-and-fumble. That's not inefficiency, that's downright bad football – against a defense that can't remotely be compared to the unit Oklahoma will bring to Ann Arbor on Saturday.

"it's not just Bryce's job that's not absolutely set in concrete, " Whittingham remarked. "Nobody's is."

Earlier this spring and long before the Michigan staff spoke of Underwood's consistency in fall camp, Whittingham couldn't stop talking regarding Carr, the younger brother of Notre Dame star quarterback CJ Carr.

Tommy not only wasn't a mega recruit, he was a 3-star afterthought. A legacy whose grandfather, Lloyd, is a former legendary Michigan coach. The ultimate Michigan Man, no less.

Tommy Carr indicated up in Ann Arbor barely weighing 185 pounds, and his lanky body looked out of place in offseason conditioning. Then he stepped on the field for spring practice, and it was clear Michigan had something that couldn't be ignored.

"I'm in the facility at 10 at night, and I walk by the quarterback room, and there's Tommy Carr watching film all by himself, " Whittingham informed me in April. "He's completely immersed in his development as far as trying to get better." He's going to need all of that work, and more. And maybe sooner than anyone could've imagined.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB. Listen to him daily, from 12-2 p.m., on 1010XL-Jacksonville. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

In short, michigan football didnt hire Kyle Whittingham to babysit a 5-star QB is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.