Michigan escaped Wrigley Field like a team that suddenly realized the margin for error in the Big Ten is razor-thin. Bryce Underwood’s up-and-down outing, highlighted by two ill-timed interceptions, turned what should’ve been a routine win into a sweaty fourth-quarter escape. And yes, those mistakes didn’t go unnoticed inside the building. Because Sherrone Moore is already entering damage control mode with the latest announcement. 

Sherrone Moore patched a shaky QB narrative with the most “Michigan-bred” QB imaginable. On November 16, the recruiting world spun when Hayes Fawcett dropped a classic “BREAKING” hammer on X. “2026 QB Tommy Carr has Flipped his Commitment from Miami (OH) to Michigan,” he announced. The 6’4 195 QB is the younger brother of Notre Dame QB CJ Carr & grandson of former Michigan national championship winning HC Lloyd Carr. He’s also the son of former Wolverines QB Jason Carr. If you ever needed a definition for Michigan DNA, Tommy Carr might be it. “Those who stay will be champions,” he said. But the flip wasn’t just sentimental, it was strategic.

Nobody in Ann Arbor ever forgot the day Michigan punted on recruiting CJ Carr. It felt strange then, and it looks even stranger now, with him carving up defenses in South Bend like he was born to be a first-rounder. Nine games into his starting career, he’s already a Davey O’Brien semifinalist. Tommy Carr is built from the same cloth. Maybe he’s the reboot. And the stats say he might be even more than that.

For Saline High, Tommy Carr threw for 2,431 yards, 31 touchdowns, and just three picks while adding seven scores on the ground. He even dropped a nine-touchdown game earlier this fall. Ranked No. 962 nationally and No. 49 among quarterbacks, he joins 4-star Brady Smigiel as Michigan’s second QB commit in a class already sitting at No. 10 per 247Sports. With Smigiel recovering from a torn ACL, Sherrone Moore needed insurance with upside and identity and his latest flip offered both. Four flips in November, 25 commits overall and Michigan is recalibrating the future roster with a theme as the present spirals out of control. 

The Bryce Underwood Problem Michigan Couldn’t Ignore

The negative glare fell on Bryce Underwood despite Michigan’s 24-22 narrow win over Northwestern. His two interceptions nearly handed their unranked opponent a season-altering upset. Analyst David Pollack didn’t sugarcoat it. “Michigan had five turnovers, two missed field goals, and it still won,” he said. “I love Bryce Underwood. I love his potential for the future, but it’s not now. It’s really not. He’s just thrown a couple of picks over the middle of the field that were really bad picks.”

Bryce Underwood has now thrown back-to-back interceptions in consecutive games, a concerning trend for a true freshman still finding his timing. Yet the talent remains undeniable. 61.5% completions, 1,951 yards, seven touchdowns, and a 6’4”, 228-pound frame built like a prototype. Even at Wrigley Field, he delivered a season-high 280 passing yards. Still, Michigan can’t ride on potential alone in November.

Bryce Underwood’s fourth-quarter pick could’ve sunk the Wolverines, but Dominic Zvada’s walk-off field goal saved the night. Sherrone Moore’s postgame words to Jenny Taft said the quiet part aloud, “They know they got to clean a lot of stuff up, but winning in the Big Ten is hard.” In the end, this move wasn’t panic but positioning. Michigan escaped Northwestern with a win, but the real victory came a day later when the Wolverines reminded everyone that their QB pipeline won’t rely on hope alone.