Michigan already has its quarterback of the future — his name is Carter Smith

Five-star Belleville (Mich.) High quarterback Bryce Underwood committed to LSU over Michigan and others on Saturday evening.

There is no way around it — the optics of this particular recruiting loss aren’t great. Michigan has missed on another elite signal-caller in its own backyard. And this time, it’s the No. 1 overall prospect in the country in the 2025 class.

Underwood has been called a ‘unicorn’ and ‘the next Vince Young’ and could have been an impact player as soon as he stepped foot in Ann Arbor. Losing Underwood stings, especially with question marks about the quarterback room after current starter JJ McCarthy.

But it’s certainly not time to panic.

This cycle, the Wolverines landed On300 signal-caller Jadyn Davis, an accurate short-intermediate passer with a tremendous football IQ and the ability to play early. While Davis is limited athletically, he has the traits to be, at worst, a high level game manager that can rack up victories in Ann Arbor.

This cycle, the Wolverines already have their man — On300 quarterback Carter Smith. No, Underwood won’t be donning the winged helmet, but Smith is one of the more exciting prospects at the position next cycle. A true dual-threat quarterback, Smith has a ridiculously high ceiling, which complements the high floor of Davis.

Smith earned an offer from U-M in November and committed just a little more than a week later. He didn’t delay his decision like Davis. There were no talks about NIL like there was with the Underwood recruitment. Smith wanted to be a Wolverine and made his announcement with little fanfare.

Smith is all about business and winning — making him the ideal fit at a program like Michigan.

“I think he’ll fit in really well (at Michigan),” said Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot head coach Richie Rode. “First and foremost, he’s a team and locker room guy. He’s a sponge. For a kid that could have such an enormous ego, he doesn’t. We have some teachers that have said ‘that’s Carter Smith? We’ve heard the name, but we didn’t know he was that quiet kid.’ I know he felt super comfortable with Michigan.

“He’s a big culture guy. He’s a big relationship guy. He was looking for that. He’s not looking for fame. He’s not looking for NIL. He’s looking to play the best competition. He’s looking to win. He’s looking for culture and relationships. He knew it right away at Michigan.”

Michigan’s balanced offense was never an issue, either.

“I think he’s almost a carbon copy of JJ McCarthy,” said Smith’s father, Dan. “The Penn State game, they ran it 30 times in a row. That kind of stuff fires us up. Carter loves that. If they can’t stop it, why change it? We’re not about throwing it 60 times a game. There is a toughness in that program that Carter really enjoyed seeing. That was definitely a big part for him.”

It’s time for Michigan fans to move on from Underwood.

Smith wants to be at Michigan and has the talent to help the Wolverines keep winning championships. We’re talking about the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Florida. That’s right, Smith beat out 2024’s No. 1 prospect, Ohio State wide receiver signee Jeremiah Smith, for the award as a junior.

And Smith isn’t even close to hitting his full potential. Smith was actually a highly touted baseball prospect that threw in the 90s as a sophomore. He could have earned millions by graduation and instead passed it up to follow his passion — football. Smith, who also competes in the 400m relay and does high and long jumps, has never received quarterback training or played the game year round.

Michigan has had plenty of success over the last few years thanks to the athleticism of JJ McCarthy. Smith is obviously a special athlete and once he polishes up as a passer, he has McCarthy-like ability.

“I think he gives Michigan the quarterback they’ve had success with recently,” said On3 Rankings Director Charles Power. “He’s certainly a guy the staff is high on to take right now. It speaks volumes as to how they feel about his talent. He’s a guy who we like a good bit and has the making to be a very good college football player. He can stress defenses in multiple ways. When you look at the current landscape of college football and football in general, having a guy with that type of ability to pick up yards on the ground and throw at a very high level brings a lot of value to an offense.”

Smith even has a McCarthy-like personality.

The Wolverines haven’t had a true vocal leader on the recruiting trail at the quarterback position since, well, McCarthy. Smith has the swagger and magnetic personality to finally help Michigan capitalize on its on-field success.

“We’re going to put together a special class,” Smith said. “I talked to (DJ) Pickett a little bit. We grew up playing baseball together. I know there is some people worried about all the stuff going on, but I said ‘listen, nobody has entered the transfer portal, nobody is decommitting and everyone is sticking through it.’ Also, just starting that Florida pipeline. Why not take home up north? I’m taking a lot of pride in building a special group around me.”

Smith played in a playoff game on the Friday night before the game against Ohio State, got on a plane first thing Saturday morning and arrived in Ann Arbor right after kickoff. It was important for Smith to support his future team against its biggest rival and lead the way during a massive recruiting weekend.

Smith loves Michigan. It’s time for Michigan fans to love Smith, too.