When Bryce Underwood committed to Michigan, it felt like Sherrone Moore had won the lottery. Snatching the nation’s No. 1 player away from LSU was a major flex. Michigan didn’t hesitate either—they locked him in with an approximate $12 million NIL investment. However, Moore isn’t handing Underwood the QB1 crown on a silver platter. Instead, he’s building a roster full of hungry competitors and targeting three major quarterback recruits who could eventually shake up the pecking order in Ann Arbor.
In other words, the starting job still has to be earned—and Moore’s laying the groundwork to make sure it stays that way. And Moore’s making a triple threat move by aggressively pursuing three quarterbacks in the 2026 class, each with serious potential. With just three commits so far for 2026, Michigan’s not wasting time.
First up is Brady Smigiel, the four-star QB out of Newbury Park. Then there’s Nathan Bernhard, a three-star from Ashland, Ohio. And finally, there’s the five-star wild card—Ryder Lyons from Folsom. According to On3’s Steve Wiltfong, all three are no slouches and could eventually threaten Underwood’s long-term grip on the QB1 spot.
“We are going to have our answer very soon on who Michigan’s quarterback recruit’s going to be in the 2026 class. And obviously it’s going to be a guy that’s going to come in and be someone that just pushes that room the first couple of years, as Bryce Underwood is expected to be the starter for the next three years.” So yeah, these guys aren’t just backup plans—they’re potential challengers.
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Smigiel might be the closest to pulling the trigger. Wiltfong shared: “Brady Smigiel, he’s taking his visit to Michigan this weekend for the spring game. And I think that the Wolverines are pushing to close this one.”
The fact that he’s a former Florida State commit makes this even juicier. Wiltfong added, “He’s a former Florida State commit that realizes that these windows close fast.” Smigiel’s a strong-armed pocket passer and impressed everyone at the Under Armour Next Camp—an ideal fit for a Michigan offense looking to stay elite post-McCarthy.
Then there’s Nathan Bernhard, who’s also close to making a decision. “Nathan Bernhard is also in decision-making mode. Michigan’s fallen in love with him,” said Wiltfong. “He was the first quarterback new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsay went to go see on Monday.” Lindsay also checked out Smigiel right after, showing how serious Michigan is about locking down their guy. Wiltfong added: “I think if Brady doesn’t pop this weekend, Nathan’s in the fold soon after, and Michigan has their 2026 quarterback.”
Meanwhile, Bernhard put together a solid 2023 campaign—throwing for 1,718 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing nearly 63% of his passes. He led his team to the playoffs in Ohio’s Region 10 and is gaining traction with programs like Duke, Bowling Green, and Akron.
Lastly, there’s Ryder Lyons—arguably the most talented of the bunch. Lyons is a five-star on the On3 Industry Ranking but plans to take an LDS mission after high school, which means he won’t suit up until 2027.
“Their top guy is Ryder Lyons, who’s actually in the 2026 class. He’s a five-star recruit for the On3 industry, but he’s going to take that LDS mission after his senior year, which puts him in 2027. Michigan had him on campus this weekend.” He’s drawn serious interest from BYU, Oregon, and USC as well. So, if even one of these three commits soon, it’ll be a long-term chess piece Moore can lean on. For Bryce Underwood, that’s pressure incoming.
Sherrone Moore’s QB1 verdict adds more uncertainty
Now let’s talk about the current QB battle. Bryce Underwood was expected to waltz into the QB1 role this offseason, but things aren’t playing out like that. Sherrone Moore has made it clear—it’s a true competition.
Right now, Mikey Keene, Jadyn Davis, and Underwood are all in the mix. The curveball? Davis, once hailed as Michigan’s QB of the future, might be the odd man out. Rumors of him entering the transfer portal are heating up. But Moore hasn’t counted him out yet.
“I’m excited to see what happens in the spring game and excited to see how it rolls into the summer and in fall camp,” Moore told On3’s J.D. PicKell. “I’d say Jadyn Davis has really taken huge steps this fall camp and played really more confident, and you can see the glimpses of things that he did in high school really show up in spring ball. So been proud of his progress and what he’s done and made the competition even better.”
Translation: don’t write him off just yet. Davis may not have wowed on stat sheets—only 20 yards on 2-of-4 passing last season—but Moore likes the growth he’s seeing. Underwood, however, continues to turn heads….
“He’s been outstanding,” Moore said. “He’s one of those kids that you got to pull back. You got to tell him to get some rest, make sure you’re sleeping, the recovery piece, because he’s just a worker and he never stops. He wants to be the best; he’ll do anything to be the best. He’s a great teammate, great young man.”
That’s about as glowing as it gets—but still, Moore hasn’t handed him the keys just yet.
And then there’s Mikey Keene, the experienced transfer who brings in 8,000+ career yards, 65 touchdowns, and a 69% completion rate over 39 games. With Jack Tuttle sidelined and Alex Orji gone to the portal, Keene could be a serious dark horse. He’s already proven himself at Fresno State. The question is—can he outpace Underwood and Davis? And what’s clear is that Sherrone Moore isn’t playing favorites.
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