By Mark Pszonak
A larger than usual group of top programs are in the midst of quarterback changes during the off-season. Spring practice was a good opportunity for these programs to gain a clearer picture of their future. And while not many made official announcements regarding their 2025 starter, if you read the tea leaves, many of the competitions were settled.
Unless the unexpected happens during the next couple of months, Alabama (Ty Simpson), Georgia (Gunner Stockton), Notre Dame (CJ Carr), Oregon (Dante Moore) and Colorado (Kaidon Salter) have all found their starting quarterback. Some unexpected competition emerged at a few of these schools, but overall, everyone knows what is going to happen.
That leaves only two schools that have legitimate quarterback battles remaining as we head towards the summer: Ohio State and Michigan.
Ohio State
As spring practice began, this was touted as a three-horse race between Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz and true freshman Tavien St. Clair. While none of the three have any notable collegiate experience, it didn’t come as a surprise that St. Clair, who has only been on campus for a couple of months, faded during the spring which leaves us with two contenders.
Sayin has been the odds-on-favorite to become the starter since the conclusion of the 2024 season. And while that remains to be the case, Kienholz has pushed him harder than many expected. This continued through the spring game when Sayin (17 of 24 for 175 yards and 1 TD) and Kienholz (12 of 18 for 158 yards and 2 TDs) both showcased their potential.
Continue to put your money on Sayin, but this is closer than many expected. And because of this, Kienholz will continue to get every opportunity to push for the job. And that job starts with an enormous audition – at home against Texas.
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Michigan
Michigan really didn’t want any question marks heading into the summer, but highly touted true freshman Bryce Underwood’s performance during the spring left some doubts. And that continued in the spring game when he only completed 12 of 26 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown. And that one touchdown was a game ending 88-yarder following a reverse flea-flicker, so not necessarily during the normal flow of the offense. Without that final successful trick play, Underwood completed 11 of 25 passes for 99 yards, which are numbers that should quickly remind Wolverines’ fans of the disastrous quarterback play during the 2024 season.
This is why Mikey Keene remains a name to watch. The transfer from Fresno State is a veteran of the game who has passed for 8,245 yards and 65 touchdowns during his collegiate career. However, he missed the spring due to an unspecified injury, which left the offense in Underwood’s hands.
If Keene can return 100% healthy for summer camp, which hasn’t been confirmed or denied, then it would be logical to believe that he will be given every opportunity to push and/or supplant Underwood as the starter. Throwing the true freshman into the fire, especially with trips to Oklahoma and Nebraska looming during the first four games, may not be the best idea for the Wolverines. But it may become a reality if Keene isn’t healthy by August.
