The Big Lead

Michigan landing Fresno State's Mikey Keene in transfer portal gives Wolverines perfect bridge QB

By Sam Westmoreland

Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback Mikey Keene (1) looks for a receiver during the third quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback Mikey Keene (1) looks for a receiver during the third quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
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Michigan landed themselves another quarterback on Monday, this one in the form of former Fresno State passer Mikey Keene, according to ESPN's Jake Trotter.

Keene, a junior, gives the Wolverines their second big name quarterback of this offseason. Number one overall recruit Bryce Underwood committed to Michigan earlier this offseason.

Keene represents an ideal transfer get for Sherrone Moore's team, the perfect bridge between this season's disastrous collection of quarterbacks and Underwood, who looks like the future of football in Ann Arbor.

He's a solid, reliable passer, throwing for nearly 3,000 yards in each of his last two seasons at Fresno State. He's not a runner at all, and might be one of the least mobile quarterbacks in the sport, with just two rushing touchdowns and none of his four college seasons featuring a positive rushing yard total.

In other words, he gives Michigan some much-needed stability and security at a position where they had precious little of either last year. The troika of Alex Orji, Davis Warren and Jack Tuttle were a collective disaster under center last year, and their lackluster performance was one of the driving factors in the Wolverines going from national champions to scrabbling to reach 7-5.

There's no denying that Underwood is the future. He's a dynamic athlete with a live arm, capable of making all the throws you need to be able to make at all levels. He's been getting Cam Newton comparisons, which is a truly wild thing to say about a kid who has yet to take a singular snap in college. Once he has the starting job in Ann Arbor, he's not giving it up.

But Keene can serve as the perfect bridge quarterback. An adequate, reliable passer who also poses no real long-term threat to Underwood's ability to get and keep the starting job when he's ready. If that happens the moment he steps foot on campus, Keene is an ideal, battle-tested backup able to step in and run a college offense efficiently until Underwood returns to re-take the reins.

If Underwood needs some more baking time next season, Keene can take the starting job and Michigan can rest easier knowing that at the very least, they have a quarterback who won't be an active detriment to the offense when he has to throw the ball.

And for a Wolverines offense that ranked as one of the worst in all of FBS at throwing the ball, competence could go a long, long way.

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