- Unlike last year, the Michigan Wolverines are rolling into 2025 with some solid options at quarterback. The most noteworthy addition to the QB room is Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 class. Underwood is a guy who is viewed as a future first-round NFL Draft selection, and his reported NIL deal of over $10 million highlights just how important it was for Michigan to keep him home.
And while fans are excited for the potential that Underwood brings as a true freshman, Michigan added another weapon to the QB room who could likely be the starter to open the 2025 season: Mikey Keene.
Keene is entering his fifth year of college football and has put together an impressive career. He has over 8,000 career passing yards, along with 65 touchdowns through the air. His experience as a starting QB was something that was missing in last year’s QB room in Ann Arbor, and now Keene is hoping to capitalize on that experience to bring another championship back to Michigan.
- During a recent appearance on⊃ theLeaders and Next podcast, Keene opened up about his goals at Michigan for his final year of college football.
“The number one thing I want Michigan fans to know about me is really my mentality and what I’m trying to bring to this program,” Keen said. “The only thing that I’m focused on is winning. There’s no personal accolades, there’s no striving toward something after this year. This is my final year of college football, and I want to win. I want to win a championship. I have not been able to do that in my college career yet. I was blessed in high school and had that opportunity, so I’m chasing that feeling.”
Given the weapons that remain in Ann Arbor, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Keene help deliver on that goal of winning a championship. The Wolverines return plenty of experience on the offensive line, have a backfield that could feature one of the top RB duos in the conference (Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes), and whole stable of wide receivers who are capable of making big time plays. With a veteran QB like Keene in the mix, along with the experience of new OC Chip Lindsey, this Michigan offense is primed to take a big step forward in 2025.
For Keene, Michigan provided the best opportunity of reaching his end goal of a championship.
“I want these guys to win, I want to win a championship here, and that’s really my end goal,” Keene said. “So everything that I’m doing is for the betterment of the team. We have a slogan, ‘team over me,’ so I’m really bought in on what we’re selling. This is the most winningest program in college football, so I feel like I fit perfectly with that, and the mentality that I’m trying to bring to this football team. And that’s already instilled, because the standard is the standard at a place like this.
“And nowadays with college football, with the NIL and transfer portal, and all of these different things, it’s hard to maintain a culture and uphold a standard. But we do an excellent job here doing that in the short time that I’ve been here, and I’m super appreciative of that and how coach [Sherrone] Moore upholds that for everyone. Everyone in the support staff, everyone’s bought into the same common goal… getting back to winning those championships. So I’m on the same page with them, and that’s really all I want to bring to this team.”
