Michigan Benches Bryce Underwood As Multimillion-Dollar Gamble Falters

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Michigan benched Bryce Underwood—its multimillion-dollar quarterback—following a first half against Penn State in which the sophomore threw two interceptions. 

The Wolverines turned to freshman Tommy Carr, and the move paid immediate dividends. Carr, the younger brother of Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr, led the Wolverines on consecutive scoring drives to take a 14-3 lead with 1:34 remaining in the third quarter. 

Underwood’s benching comes after a season of struggles under first-year coach Kyle Whittingham, in which he completed 59 percent of his passes entering Saturday, with six total touchdowns and six turnovers (four interceptions, two fumbles). 

“Well, first of all, we got to get something going on offense,” Whittingham told CBS sideline reporter Jenny Dell at halftime. “We’ve got absolutely nothing going. Not running the ball well. The only team not running the ball as well as us is them … We’re going to talk about it here at halftime. We got to get something going.”

Michigan’s Massive NIL Investment 

Underwood was a high-profile recruit in the 2025 recruiting cycle. Previously committed to LSU, the Belleville, Michigan, native flipped his commitment to Michigan late in the recruiting cycle—largely because of a substantial NIL (name, image, and likeness) investment. The unprecedented NIL deal was funded by billionaire technology and media tycoon Larry Ellison. 

Last fall, the deal was believed to be worth at least $10 million over four years, while On3 reported it could be as high as $12.5 million. LSU had been reportedly offering Underwood closer to $1.5 million annually in NIL money. Underwood currently holds a $3 million NIL valuation from On3, which ranks 10th nationally among college football players (32nd nationally among football and basketball players). 

In addition to his brother CJ Carr at Notre Dame, Tommy Carr’s father Jason played QB for Michigan (1992-95). Tommy Carr’s grandfather, Lloyd Carr, was the Michigan head coach from 1995 to 2007, coached the 1997 national championship team, and was 122-40 over 13 seasons.

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