It was a brutal setback when CJ Carr chose Marcus Freeman’s Irish over his family’s long legacy of being Maize and Blue faithful. However, when Michigan landed Carr’s brother, Tommy, as a freshman QB for the 2026 class, it created a lot of buzz. And even after officially signing on December 3rd, 2025, the new staff under Kyle Whittingham is making sure to keep the momentum intact.

As of now, the new staff haven’t seen much from Carr, but they are still happy that he is still on the roster. During the time when Sherrone Moore led the team with his staff members, they recruited Tommy. But just a week after Tommy signed with them, the program fired Moore from Michigan Stadium. He is currently facing an intense courtroom drama.

Now we have witnessed a massive coaching carousel during the 2025 season. When these coaches left and joined another program, their recruits followed them there. For example, when James Franklin was fired, 23 recruits decommitted from Penn State Nittany Lions football, and 11 of them committed to the Virginia Tech Hokies football. But in this case, since Carr had already signed the letter of intent, the contract bound him. And getting out of it would have been a difficult task.

If Carr wanted to leave, he would have needed to request a release from his National Letter of Intent rather than entering the transfer portal. Other 2026 signees, such as tight end Matt Ludwig and offensive lineman Bear McWhorter, requested releases, and the program allowed them to leave. But Tommy Carr stayed. Some of the credit goes to Michigan for acting fast in hiring Kyle Whittingham.

When Kyle Whittingham stepped in, his first task was to retain Bryce Underwood and clear out the tarnished reputation created over the last few years. While Whittingham successfully kept Underwood at Michigan, Tommy Carr was no less important. The Saline High School QB completed his school career with an 18-5 record as a starter. In his senior season, he famously accounted for nine total touchdowns (eight passing, one rushing) in a single game against Dexter.

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He initially committed to Miami (Ohio) in February 2025. But after the senior season performance, he flipped his commitment to Michigan on November 16, 2025. The move made a lot of sense, keeping in mind the six decades of legacy his family has created as Wolverines faithful. His maternal grandfather, Tom Curtis, was an All-American safety at Ann Arbor, earning the CFB Hall of Fame (1967-69).

Eleven years later, Carr’s paternal grandfather, Lloyd Carr, became a legendary coach there for 28 years (he was the head coach there for 13 years). He led the team to the 1997 Natty win. Both of Carr’s parents are Michigan graduates. Jason was a backup quarterback for the team from 1992 to 1995. His father, Jason, was a backup quarterback for the team from 1992 to 1995. This raises a very crucial question: Why didn’t Tommy’s elder brother, CJ, choose Notre Dame over Michigan?

“I never wanted to go to college close to home,” said Carr, who lives less than 10 miles from Michigan Stadium. Notre Dame stood out because of its elite culture and campus, which CJ instantly fell in love with.

“I went over for a spring visit, and it was just different,” he said. “I hadn’t been anywhere like it. Fell in love with the campus, the culture, and really everything Notre Dame.”

To make the deal sweeter, his bond with head coach Marcus Freeman and then-offensive coordinator Tommy Rees shone brightly. He committed early (nearly two years before his expected enrollment). Why? To serve as a “pied piper” for the 2024 class, aiming to help Notre Dame build a #1-ranked recruiting class. Even though Michigan had to accept this, they won’t be taking any risk with Tommy Carr.

Tommy Carr stands behind a long waiting line

When Tommy Carr signed with the Wolverines, his brother didn’t give a separate reaction explicitly. However, their mother, Tammi Carr, stated that the family is “super-excited.” And now the family is officially divided between Michigan and Notre Dame. However, Tommy would have to wait quite some time before his time to start comes at the Big House.

Sadly, Tommy Carr joins a competitive Michigan room. Bryce Underwood is returning, which means that he is the confirmed starter. Carr is currently projected as a depth piece alongside fellow 2026 commit Brady Smigiel. For the next one or two years, Underwood will definitely hold the starter role. After the 2027 season, he will be NFL-eligible.

Carr’s real competition will come after the Underwood era. He has Jadyn Davis and four-star recruit Brady Smigiel. Analysts noted the staff viewed Carr as a vital “late addition” to provide depth behind Bryce Underwood, especially given the injury to fellow 2026 commit Brady Smigiel.