![\"Tommy](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/USATSI_28760627-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\nANN ARBOR, Mich. \u2014 Watching Saturday\u2019s spring game, it was easy to forget how much things have changed at Michigan.<\/p>\n
The scrimmage inside Michigan Stadium could have passed for any spring game in recent memory, with points at a premium and defense ruling the day. Quarterback Bryce Underwood was 3-for-9 passing for 22 yards in a quarter of work, and neither squad scored a touchdown until running back Tomas O\u2019Meara plunged into the end zone with 17 seconds remaining to give the Maize squad a 7-6 victory.<\/p>\n
One scrimmage doesn\u2019t show the extent of Michigan\u2019s transformation under coach Kyle Whittingham. Most of the work so far has been beneath the surface, in the parts of the program that aren\u2019t on display. The changes should be more apparent when the Wolverines return to Michigan Stadium for their Sept. 5 season opener against Western Michigan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not where we need to be ultimately,\u201d Whittingham said, \u201cbut I think we\u2019re on track.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here are five takeaways from Saturday\u2019s scrimmage.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n Freshman quarterback Tommy Carr had a poised game Saturday, showing promising depth at the position for Michigan. (Junfu Han \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
Arrow pointing up for Carr<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no quarterback controversy at Michigan. Underwood is Michigan\u2019s starter, and Whittingham reiterated as much in Saturday\u2019s scrimmage. But freshman Tommy Carr had the best day of the three quarterbacks who played and showed why Whittingham has singled him out for praise since he arrived on campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cBryce is our starter right now, and that\u2019s not any different after today,\u201d Whittingham said, \u201cbut Tommy has really made strides and really has a great pocket presence and escapability. He can extend plays, keeps his eyes downfield. All the things you look for in a big-time quarterback, Tommy possesses those.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carr completed 21 of 30 passes for 143 yards, showing the accuracy and the crisp decision-making that caught Whittingham\u2019s attention this spring. He\u2019s more athletic than advertised at 6 feet 4 and 185 pounds and showed the ability to tuck the ball and run when the defense gave him a lane.<\/p>\n
The Wolverines expect to add a veteran QB over the summer in Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, who threw for nearly 7,000 yards at Colorado State. His experience would make him the logical choice as Underwood\u2019s backup, but Carr has done enough this spring to make that a competition.<\/p>\n
Whittingham described Carr as a pleasant surprise but added that his play isn\u2019t so surprising based on everything Michigan knew about him. Carr, who was committed to Miami (Ohio) before switching to Michigan, hasn\u2019t surprised himself with how quickly he\u2019s acclimated.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew I\u2019m a good football player,\u201d Carr said. \u201cI had no doubts of myself and my abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018No panic\u2019 for the offense<\/p>\n
Underwood didn\u2019t look noticeably different from the last time Michigan fans saw him. He had one impressive throw, threading a needle to tight end Eli Owens for a 16-yard gain. He also overthrew a pair of deep balls, made some risky throws over the middle into traffic and fled the pocket on a few occasions.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t show up in his stats, but Whittingham said Underwood made progress with his footwork and decision-making this spring. He\u2019ll need to keep that going through the rest of the offseason to make the kind of second-year leap Michigan envisions for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s some things that may not be noticeable to the general populace with his footwork, his pocket presence,\u201d Whittingham said. \u201cHe\u2019s improved in all areas. He still has work to do. He knows that and we know that, but he\u2019s ahead of where he was last season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whittingham noted that Utah\u2019s offense went through a similar transition last year in its first season with offensive coordinator Jason Beck. The Utes also had some rough patches in the spring but finished No. 4 in the FBS in total offense.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d say we\u2019re right on par with where we need to be relative to what happened last year,\u201d Whittingham said. \u201cNo panic at all. We feel like we\u2019re heading in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n
D-line might be Michigan\u2019s strength<\/p>\n
One of Michigan\u2019s most encouraging developments this spring was the depth that emerged on the defensive front, which lost quite a bit of star power in recent years. Defensive end Cameron Brandt looks more explosive after dropping weight from last season, Whittingham said, and Dominic Nichols has positioned himself for a breakout season.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a guy that I think has a chance to be all-Big Ten before he\u2019s finished here,\u201d Whittingham said. \u201cIt\u2019s up to him how good he can be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deyvid Palepale continues to make his case to be part of the defensive tackle rotation, and second-year player Bobby Kanka did the same with an impressive goal-line stop on a fourth-and-1 play. Saturday was a strong day for a unit that expects to have All-American John Henry Daley back from injury in June.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like we\u2019re going to be the tone-setters of the defense this year, getting to the quarterback, just affecting him,\u201d defensive end Lugard Edokpayi said. \u201cIf the ball can\u2019t even get to the DBs and they don\u2019t have to cover for so long, there will be good energy everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Savion](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/USATSI_28760761-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Freshman Savion Hiter stole the show Saturday and is expected to contribute to the Wolverines off the bat. (Junfu Han \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
Hiter is the complete package<\/p>\n
There was no singular highlight for freshman Savion Hiter, but he looked the part of a Big Ten running back with 44 yards on 10 carries. He passed every test Michigan threw at him this spring, including blitz pickups and ball security.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought Savion Hiter really showed that he\u2019s an explosive back,\u201d Whittingham said. \u201cHe didn\u2019t really get loose out in the open, but he\u2019s a powerful back that\u2019s going to be a big factor for us this fall.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hiter said he came out of the spring at 218 pounds, up from 197 when he arrived at Michigan. The five-star freshman is more than just a power back \u2014 he cited Bijan Robinson as a player he\u2019s often compared to \u2014 but he\u2019s not afraid to lower his shoulder and plow through contact, as he showed on several carries Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to be more of a juking guy, but I just want everybody to feel that I\u2019m a physical runner,\u201d Hiter said.<\/p>\n
Jordan Marshall is Michigan\u2019s No. 1 running back and looked sharp on five carries in the first quarter. Based on everything Whittingham said this spring, Hiter is going to be heavily involved as well. Those two should be one of the most rugged running back duos in the Big Ten.<\/p>\n
Michigan is learning Whittingham\u2019s way<\/p>\n
Structure and discipline aren\u2019t optional for Whittingham. More than anything, this spring was about establishing a new standard for a program that slipped in numerous areas during Sherrone Moore\u2019s two-year tenure.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur mentality had to be different,\u201d Hiter said. \u201cWe knew that he wasn\u2019t going to deal with anything, any of the BS. We had to get on top of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Players have talked about practices being quicker and more efficient, meetings starting a few minutes early and everyone being held accountable for their responsibilities. Those are things that don\u2019t show up in a scrimmage, but they should make for a tougher, more disciplined team when the season arrives.<\/p>\n
What Whittingham brought is not so much a wholesale change in identity but rather a return to the things that made Michigan successful for years. Much of Whittingham\u2019s message will sound familiar, yet there\u2019s a lot of newness, too. The transition isn\u2019t something that happens in a single spring.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve come a long way in, what, three-and-a-half months?\u201d Whittingham said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to need every bit of preparation time we have before Sept. 5 when we line up and play.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ANN ARBOR, Mich. \u2014 Watching Saturday\u2019s spring game, it was easy to forget how much things have changed…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":869718,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[331,339,7,71,49,48],"class_list":{"0":"post-869717","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-college-football","9":"tag-college-sports","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-michigan-wolverines","12":"tag-ncaa","13":"tag-ncaa-football"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116430186879058446","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=869717"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869717\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/869718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=869717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=869717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=869717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}