Many pundits expect Michigan football to start the season in the top 25 in college, yet it doesn’t appear many believe it will stay that way. With an over-under set between 8.5 and 9.5, many are taking the under, citing key defensive losses and a moribund offense given what it was last year.
However, that doesn’t take into account the numerous changes that the Wolverines have made.
Starting in November, Sherrone Moore flipped Bryce Underwood from LSU to Ann Arbor, the No. 1 quarterback and recruit in the country staying home, with an opportunity to lead the team in year one. A few days after beating Ohio State, he fired offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell in favor of Chip Lindsey, who had successful stints at Auburn, UCF, and North Carolina.
So, the offense, even with a freshman quarterback, will look much different.
Starting with Underwood, Moore shared at Big Ten media days in Las Vegas that he’s appreciated his work ethic, his smarts, and how he’s jelled with the team. Given his maturity even at such a young age, there’s a lot to like about the former five-star.
“I think he’s grown every single day since he’s been on campus,” Moore said. “He’s been with us since December, continues to do everything he can to be, one, the best teammate he could be, two, to be the best student he could be, and then three, to be the best football player that he could be, a quarterback that he could be for our football team.
“And he does everything the right way. He makes sure that he attacks everything the best way. I literally just got off the phone with him, calling and asking me what time he’s got to be at the team meeting on Tuesday. So he wants to make sure he’s on time and do everything right. So he’s a great teammate, great kid, great young man. Jay and Beverly, his parents, have done an outstanding job raising him — but I can say that for all our student-athletes at Michigan.”
But Moore also brought in Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene to compete with Underwood for the starting job. It hasn’t gone as expected, with Keene being out for all of spring ball with an injury. Healthy now, he’s expected to work into the rotation in fall camp starting next week.
With him and Lindsey, it’s helping the Wolverine offense to propel out of the 2024 doldrums — a year where it was last in college football in terms of yards per attempt. What’s more, with Lindsey (who was once the head coach at Troy) taking over the offense, Moore feels much more confident about that side of the ball.
“Yeah, I mean, overall the room is awesome. I love those guys in the room as young men,” Moore said. “First of all, we talked about Mikey, who, did a study about snaps in college football. He leads the team with 2,029 snaps in college football. That’s a lot of snaps in the game. So he’s a guy that’s done it, that’s experienced it at a high level.
“And, you know, bringing in Chip has been awesome. He’s an outstanding human being, a phenomenal coach, a great leader of young men. And the guys want to play for him. But from a knowledge standpoint, the things that he’s gonna give our offense and already has given our offense, it’s been outstanding. And, the things he’s given me, he’s a former head coach. He’s done it, he’s been through it, he’s seen it. So to be in that position and to be able to lean on somebody that’s been in my position before in college football has been huge for me.”
Fans will get an opportunity to see the new-look Michigan football team on August 30 when the Wolverines host New Mexico for the season opener.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Sherrone Moore bets on Bryce Underwood, Chip Lindsey to lift Michigan offense in 2025
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
