Michigan’s QB room of the future could feature two five-stars

The Michigan faithful breathed a sigh of relief as 2024 five-star quarterback Jadyn Davis committed to the Maize and Blue on March 31. From questioning whether Michigan will ever be able to land an elite quarterback to the 2024 class being catapulted to the top overall spot in the 247Sports composite within a month, Davis’ commitment supercharged the energy surrounding the program and its recruiting apparatus.

One five-star quarterback on the roster is already more than enough for fans to be stoked, but could Michigan eventually have two? Talk is cheap, but a serious discussion is brewing about the possibility of having two elite quarterbacks under Jim Harbaugh’s tutelage.

As of this moment, nothing official has been stated, but that doesn’t prevent us from mulling over the possibilities for the greatest quarterbacks room in Michigan football history since the days of Brady. Is a quarterback room with Davis and 2025 five-star Bryce Underwood possible?

The short answer: Yes. But before we get ahead of ourselves, Michigan Wolverines fans must remember that having Davis commit is one of the biggest recruiting moments under Harbaugh. His potential is what Michigan needs to maintain the offensive potency that has characterized J.J. McCarthy’s time at the helm. Davis’ mobility and arm strength are very much reminiscent of his soon-to-be predecessor. Additionally, these similarities will give the offense stability that could help it mature and evolve.

But still, adding Underwood would amplify the already impressive big-play potential Davis brings to the quarterback position.

Last weekend, Underwood visited Ann Arbor for the third time in the last month. His hometown of Belleville is only a 30-minute car ride to the Big House, but three visits in the past month are a clear indication that even with Davis’ pledge, the Wolverines aren’t going anywhere in his recruitment anytime soon. In fact, Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider reported that Underwood is planning several additional visits to Ann Arbor in the spring and summer, another sure sign of his interest in the program.

A lot of the credit for this recruitment should go to new quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell, who turned the Wolverines from dead in the water to the leader in Underwood’s recruitment in a matter of weeks.

As the best quarterback in the 2025 class, the mind reels at the possibilities of an Underwood-lead offense at U-M, but for that to happen, a quarterback competition unlike Michigan has ever had would take place. What would that look like?

J.J. McCarthy will be in the Maize and Blue for at least one more season, but possibly two. That leaves him with control of the offense until 2025 at the latest, the year Underwood would arrive on campus. In the event of an Underwood commitment and Davis’ unswerving loyalty, the 2025 preseason would be one for the ages. Davis vs. Underwood already has the ring of a heavyweight title match.

Davis, having been on campus an additional year, would be the favorite if chalk holds. His similarities to McCarthy also put him at an advantage for plug-and-play potential. If one thing has proven true in Michigan’s back-to-back Big Ten championship runs, it’s that, offensively speaking, don’t fix what ain’t broke.

However, Underwood’s deep ball is incredible. Candidly, his potential is even greater than the already lofty expectations Davis carries with him. In terms of raw physical ability, Underwood, though he is almost two years younger than Davis, has a clear upper hand. Both quarterbacks can sling the rock, but Underwood gives Michigan a chance to have a passing attack unlike anything the Maize and Blue has ever seen.

In the end, all this may never come to fruition, but there are no rules against speculating a potential Davis/Underwood summer of 2025 donnybrook in Ann Arbor. In the transfer portal and NIL era, “competition” is a discouraging word for quarterbacks. No one likes being the backup — especially when decreasing your odds of being a millionaire exponentially. However, Michigan fans could be graced with a five-star quarterback competition that has the potential to determine the landscape not just of the Big Ten, but all of college football.