Michigan Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) greets fans as he walks onto the field in uniform for the first time during Michigan footballs Spring Game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 19 2025.

ANN ARBOR – Michigan’s quarterback recruiting has featured its fair share of peaks and valleys over the past decade.

Michigan Wolverines quarterback Cade McNamara (12) looks to pass Michigan faces off against Colorado State at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com

Landing J.J. McCarthy in the 2021 class proved to be a signature moment, with the five-star prospect developing into arguably the most successful quarterback in program history. The Wolverines have landed several other highly regarded signal-callers in the past 10 cycles, but few turned out to be difference-makers in a Michigan uniform.

Michigan Wolverines quarterback Alex Orji (10) runs the ball as Michigan hosts Oregon at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 2 2024.

The only other multi-year starter besides McCarthy over the past decade was Shea Patterson, a transfer from Ole Miss. The jury is still out on Michigan’s latest two quarterback recruits, however. One is the frontrunner to start as a freshman in 2025, while the other is a top-200 prospect in the 2026 class.

Here’s a look at Michigan’s top-10 highest-rated quarterback recruits of the past 10 cycles, including 2026. They are ranked by 247Sports’ Composite rating:

10. Kendrick Bell (Class of 2023)

Rating: 0.8689

Overall ranking: No. 861

In the 2023 class, Michigan went all-in on pursuing Detroit Martin Luther King five-star quarterback Dante Moore. But when Moore committed to UCLA, the Wolverines were forced to pivot to other options.

They recruited Bell as an athlete and gave him a chance play quarterback during preseason camp before shifting him to receiver. The brother of former Michigan standout receiver Ronnie Bell had seven catches for 70 yards last season as a redshirt freshman and is expected to be in the receiver rotation again in 2025. Kendrick, a former three-star recruit, didn’t have any other power conference offers coming out of Park Hill High in Kansas City.

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) looks to throw during the Rose Bowl against Alabama in Pasadena, California on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.

9. Alex Orji (Class of 2022)

Rating: 0.8848

Overall ranking: No. 493

Orji was a dual-threat quarterback coming out of Sachse High in Texas, throwing for 2,064 yards, rushing for 1,187 and totaling 52 touchdowns as a senior. Michigan flipped him from Virginia Tech just before signing day.

For the Wolverines, he was utilized as a running option behind center his first two years before getting a shot at a full-time starting role in 2024. Orji took over the reins from Davis Warren in Week 4, but his stint as the No. 1 guy was short-lived. The Wolverines’ passing offense was essentially nonexistent with Orji at quarterback, and he transferred to UNLV this offseason.

8. Jayden Denegal (Class of 2022)

Rating: 0.8870

Overall ranking: No. 452

Denegal was the first quarterback to commit to Michigan in the 2022 cycle, verbally pledging the same day he received an offer. The three-star recruit only attempted five passes in his three years with the Wolverines and transferred this offseason to San Diego State, where he has a clearer path to more playing time.

7. Cade McNamara (Class of 2019)

Rating: 0.9052

Overall ranking: No. 282

McNamara put up gaudy numbers during his high school career, setting the Nevada state record for career passing yards (12,804) and touchdowns (146). The four-star recruit was a former Notre Dame commit before backing off his pledge and also held notable offers from schools such as Georgia, Alabama and USC.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder burst onto the college scene in 2020, replacing a struggling Joe Milton and leading the Wolverines to a comeback victory over Rutgers. Despite underwhelming numbers as a passer, McNamara helped lead Michigan to a Big Ten title in 2021 before losing the starting job to J.J. McCarthy in 2022. After two injury-riddled seasons at Iowa, McNamara will conclude his college career at East Tennessee State in 2025.

6. Joe Milton (Class of 2018)

Rating: 0.9202

Overall ranking: No. 204

The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder always had immense arm talent but never entrenched himself as the starter during his three years at Michigan. He won the No. 1 job out of camp in 2020 but was benched because of inconsistent play. He finished his college career at Tennessee and was a sixth-round pick of the Patriots in 2024. Milton was traded to the Cowboys this offseason.

During Milton’s recruitment, Michigan beat out finalists Georgia and Florida to land him.

5. Brady Smigiel (Class of 2026)

Rating: 0.9363

Overall ranking: No. 157

The Wolverines secured a commitment from Smigiel in April. He originally pledged to Florida State before reopening his recruitment. The 6-foot-5, 205-pounder has thrown for a whopping 11,222 yards and 147 touchdowns during his three years as a starter and cut down on his interceptions in 2024, throwing three after having 14 in 2023. He recently dropped out of the top 100 overall in the 2026 class but remains a top-10 quarterback this cycle.

4. Dylan McCaffrey (Class of 2017)

Rating: 0.9435

Overall ranking: No. 123

McCaffrey held five-star status for a bit as a recruit but finished as a four-star. He didn’t have many notable offers out of Valor Christian High in Colorado, though. In 2018 and 2019, he received some spot playing time and was in contention for the starting job entering 2020 but lost the battle to Milton. He ended up opting out of the COVID-shortened season and transferred to Northern Colorado.

3. Jadyn Davis (Class of 2024)

Rating: 0.9492

Overall ranking: No. 112

The standout out of Providence Day in North Carolina was rated as a five-star when he committed to the Wolverines in March 2023 but recruiting pundits began expressing concerns about his stature, mobility and throwing motion during his senior year in high school. Despite dropping in the final national rankings, he still finished as the ninth-ranked signal-caller in his class.

Davis didn’t attempt a pass during his freshman season in 2024 and struggled during the spring game in April. He enters 2025 as the projected No. 3 or No. 4 quarterback on the depth chart.

2. J.J. McCarthy (Class of 2021)

Rating: 0.9898

Overall ranking: No. 15

What a career McCarthy had in a Michigan uniform, going 27-1 as a starter and helping deliver the program’s first national championship since 1997. The Illinois native, who transferred to national powerhouse IMG Academy in Florida for his senior year in high school, was the Wolverines’ prized recruit in the 2021 cycle. He grew up an Ohio State fan, but the Buckeyes prioritized five-star quarterback Kyle McCord instead, opening the door for Michigan to make a move for McCarthy.

He was the Wolverines’ second verbal pledge in the class and went on to make an impact all three years he was in Ann Arbor. After getting his feet wet as a freshman as a chance-of-pace option next to McNamara, McCarthy won the starting job early in 2022. In the 2024 draft, he was selected10th overall by Minnesota.

1. Bryce Underwood (Class of 2025)

Rating: 0.9998

Overall ranking: No. 1

From positional importance to proximity to campus to recruiting rating, Underwood might be the most notable prospect the Wolverines have landed in the internet recruiting era. After getting underwhelming quarterback play during the 2024 campaign, head coach Sherrone Moore and Co. desperately needed to make a splash at the position. They flipped Underwood from LSU in November and ended up finishing with a top-10 class. The five-star prospect from Belleville is the frontrunner to start for the Wolverines in 2025.