Freshman quarterback Brady Smigiel has not played a single snap of collegiate football, and the wait for the quarterback may be taking longer than initially expected. 

Brice Marich, a Michigan Wolverines football/basketball reporter for the Michigan Insider on 247 Sports and CBS Sports, provided an update on the four-star quarterback on X about his performance from the pre-game for the spring game.

“Michigan freshman QB Brady Smigiel (@BradySmigiel) continues to rehab and recover from his injury, but did some throwing pre-game for the spring game and looked sharp. Another talented signal-caller in the QB room for @COACHKDJR.”

On October 6, 2025, it was reported that the Michigan Wolverines commit Brady Smigiel suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, as per a report from Joe Curley of the Ventura County Star. 

Smigiel joins quarterback coach Koy Detmer and a stacked QB room with Bryce Underwood, Tommy Carr, and veteran college quarterback with almost 7,000 career passing yards, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi. 

“By the time he’s done at Newbury Park, Smigiel will go down as one of the most prolific passers in California state history, " Greg Biggins, a national recruiting analyst, wrote. "A four-year starter and two-time State Player of the Year selection and has been putting up video game numbers since he was a freshman."

The reporter also added that the 19-year-old was a "pure pocket guy who can surgically carve apart a defense.” 

Before the QB could get injured in his senior year of high school, he completed 134-of-208 passes for 1,624 passing yards and 15 passing touchdowns.

For 2026, California’s reigning Mr. Football will be a backup regardless of his health status, as Kyle Whittingham is putting all his eggs in one basket in starter Bryce Underwood. 

Kyle Whittingham on Bryce Underwood's 2026 Season

Bryce Underwood decided to stay in-state and play for the Wolverines when he flipped his commitment from the LSU Tigers.

The No. 1 overall prospect and five-star QB started as a true freshman for the Wolverines with decent numbers, resulting in hype for a 2026 under a new head coach.

“Didn’t have a dedicated quarterback coach last year, from what I was told," Whittingham said on The Blue Print with Jake Butt podcast this week. "...We had, you talk about spring ball, but long before that, January, February, we’re in the film room and talking him through mechanics and footwork and read progressions and all that.”

In the April spring game, Underwood looked every bit a work in progress, 3-of-9 for just 22 yards with flashes of accuracy under pressure.

Underwood was not supposed to take part in the spring game, but still played one quarter. Koy Detmer joined coach Whittingham in Ann Arbor to be a dedicated coach for Bryce Underwood and the QB room.

For Whittingham and staff, it is a good problem to have a stacked QB room, and Smigiel is just going to add to that when he gets healthy.

Read more at the Michigan Football Community

Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote