Name: Mikey Keene
Height: 5'11”
Weight: 200 lbs.
High school: Chandler (AZ) Chandler
Position: Quarterback
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #7
Last year: Keene was the starting quarterback at Fresno State. He completed 277/393 passes (70.5%) for 2,892 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
TTB Rating: N/A
Sherrone Moore is like Galactus, and floating through space and time, he decided to send out the Silver Surfer - in this case, Chip Lindsey - to scout resources to consume to make himself better. The Silver Surfer zeroed in on Mikey Keene from Fresno State, and here we are:
With one of the most highly touted recruits in history, Galactus - I mean, Sherrone Moore - was never going to be able to bring in a high-profile player who wanted to play right now because Bryce Underwood is waiting in the wings to play, probably sooner rather than later. So Moore and Lindsey had to look a rung down for a guy who might want a step up in competition but had already sort of maxed himself out in a lower conference.
Keene has been a starter at two different schools, UCF and Fresno State. Overall, he has amassed 8245 passing yards, 65 passing touchdowns, and 28 interceptions, while completing 67.8% of his passes. He's an accurate thrower who's obviously limited when it comes to size, strength, and athleticism. But he's a veteran who has played 39 games and could be a perfect mentor for Underwood, pushing him and offering advice while also understanding he stepped into a situation where he's not going to be expected to be the savior of a program.
I expect Underwood to be the starting quarterback by the end of the season, if not the beginning. However, backup quarterbacks play an important role. It's rare to see a quarterback go through a season completely unscathed, if only for a half of a game or a game here or there. Keene transferred to Michigan over the winter but was unable to participate in spring practices because of an injury. However, he was available for meetings and re-learning some of the things that Lindsey taught him back when they were together at UCF. As long as Keene stays healthy for the year, he should provide a nice safety net for the team.
Prediction: Backup quarterback
points & upvotes for the Fantastic4 nuggets
ReplyDeleteI'm not high on Keene at all. But I understand the need for an experienced backup, especially if Bryce is going to add to our run threat
ReplyDeleteI think they could have brought in a bigger talent/name QB if they were willing to pay for it. Not all QBs are afraid of competing with a freshman, especially if it's a one-year thing. Arch Manning and Julian Sayin and JJ McCarthy are all recent big time talents that have NOT played much as freshman.
ReplyDeleteThere are two problems with paying more for a better QB though.
1. Having the money! With so much invested in Bryce's salary it probably doesn't pencil for whatever their salary cap allocation for the QB position is. (Sean Magee has said they do have allocations by position groups, though I'm sure there is wiggle room there).
2. Wanting to spend it! It seems like the coaching staff is all in on Bryce as the starter. So all they want is a backup option who is happy to be at Michigan, even if he is the backup.
It's all about fit (for the players and the program) and I agree with Thunder that Keene is pretty ideal if you are looking for a backup who will establish a floor, push the freshman to get better, but not likely to outshine your star freshman "franchise" player.
I like Keene and think he can do pretty well here. He sets the floor pretty high, leaps and bounds beyond last year. If Underwood falters or gets hurt, we'll be in pretty decent hands. He might be the best backup QB option at Michigan, since...well 2021, but if you exclude JJ...I think it might be back to Devin Gardner in '12 for the #2 guy being as reliable and good as Keene should be.
Too bad he wasn't around for the spring but he's a vet who should reacclimate quickly.
take a look at QBs in the portal when we settled for Keen. Which of them did we have a reasonable chance with?
DeleteBeck & Mateer could beat year1 Underwood, but their destinations were set. Beck followed his GF, and Mateer chose the competitive QB room of ... (also young) Michael Hawkins Jr and ... Whitt (who?) Newbauer
Nico too could probably beat BU, but his mess happened after, and he wanted to head back home
Everyone else on that list would likely get beat or passed by young (and expensive) Bryce, and wouldn't be worth the money to simply sit half the season, while handing it off as the starter in our RunFirstRunOften Offense ... neither party would be in a winning situation
https://www.on3.com/transfer-portal/her/football/2025/?position=qb
They had a reasonable shots at QBs before Keene settle. Also plenty of people move without announcing their intent in portal. Some guys sign up after they've decided to move already. Graham and Grant last year are examples of the way the world works now, were recruited hard and offered millions by other schools . Never entered portal. Everyone is gettable, for the right price
DeleteNobody really knows how good Bryce is or isn't. Spring game gives you a few hints but it's not real football for a QB. These coaches told us they like Warren and orji so can't trust them either. He might be Trevor Lawrence or he might be worse than jake Garcia and Keene.
DeleteWho did we have a reasonable shot at? Edwards? Tried & failed. Moss? Tried (reportedly led) & failed
DeleteYep the rumor mill was hot on connecting UM with Edwards and Moss. The $ wasn't there.
DeleteNone of it is public but IYKYK and some of those who do (or at least pretend to) said it both on the side of these players. The expectations of pay (based on Bryce NIL $ reporting) were way out of line with what Michigan was offering. Other schools were offering more. Which makes sense since those schools need STARTERS will Michigan needs a BACKUP or TUTOR or PLACEHOLDER or all of the above for Bryce.
Bottomline -- Michigan prioritized spending elsewhere. When you look at who they brought it in and what the rumors were the big $ went to bidding wars for: freshman QB, portal RB, portal DTs, freshman OTs.
I know people want to talk about level of roster opportunity and culture and whatever else and yeah all lives/things matter. BUT -- QB is a big money position and Michigan had already thrown in a lot of their chips on Underwood. They can't necessarily put starter money out there for a temp/backup position without compromising their situations at other positions (some of which are already fairly compromised like OL, WR, and TE).
As for who else Michigan had a shot at besides Edwards, Moss, and Keene...I can't give you a name because it's not public who they talked to. But do you really think that those 3 made up the full list of potential people Michigan spoke with about their QB spot? Do you really think they only connected interest with people who were already in the Portal?
Tre Williams waited all of 2 days in the Portal before signing with Michigan. Damon Payne had 1 day between entering and signing.
I don't think it's very controversial to assert that teams are talking outside of the official portal window. If so, we don't know who is "available" and who isn't. Guys who are not available can suddenly become available pretty quick if the right package is presented to them.
Who is available to you depends on how much money you are willing to spend. Michigan is one of the best funded programs in all of CFB so they "had a reasonable shot" at whoever they wanted to have a reasonable shot at. Hyperbole, maybe it's only 99% of college QBs not 100% but Georgia's QB moving tells you something doesn't it?
Michigan's QB approach was what it was. It's a strategy. It's a choice.
An essay of babble. Try "my guess is," and cut your losses!
Delete#lAnKn0wS
#aNoN
#yEp
yep that's rude
DeleteI kinda of like Mikey Keene as a backup QB. He was available. He played for Chip Lindsey. Chip would have known his strength and weaknesses. He is not the best QB we could have gotten from the portal but given our "budget", I think he is a good pickup. It is just bad luck that he got hurt in spring.
DeleteI'm still waiting for a name on that QB transfer list that we could/should have gotten
DeleteKeene is an okay G5 pickup. In that same conference, Denegal is a starter ... Denegal, who couldn't sniff the field behind the gimmick & DavisF Warren
Keene is a long way from what we want & need in Ann Arbor. Hoping he can hand it off and make HS throws is the ceiling (if he can get healthy)
Yep keep waiting. Your question was answered, in multiple ways. Don't really need to move beyond not willing to pay Moss or Edwards but you can.
DeleteKeene also started at UCF which is now in the Big 12. You can win with a QB like that. Want proof? All you have to do is look back to 2021 when East Tenn State level QB was starting for Michigan. Just need the D and the run game to carry him. Keene is better than we had in 2021.
In 2025 Michigan likely has the D to win that way and they likely have the RBs to win that way, but OL and OC are TBD. As is Keene's availability, it seems.
"OL is TBD" ... then how TF are you sayin we can "win that way," referencing a team with the Joe Moore award winning OL? Not even you believe you
DeleteOn BTN, Edwards said he clicked well with one of the WRs during his Madison visit, leading to his commitment. While we can assume there was more to it, Edwards statement the only factor we know of first hand. Your opinion is noted, but not backed up
#outsmarted
*this may be on page two by the time you read it ... will you wave the white flag on your new year resolution, or take just another L?
#checkmate
#lAnKoToMy (iYkYk)
We would have liked to roll out Bryce slowly, and not just toss everything on him at once. barely 18, that is a lot of pressure, but if anyone can do it, Bryce can. Let him drill 2-3 plays he really likes and just run the same 3 plays he trusts. you can disguise them so they don't look like the same 3 plays, but they are. Once he gets it down, you expand the playbook.
ReplyDeleteKeene/Underwood 25 could be upgraded version of McNamara/mccarthy 21. OL not as good tho....QB probably needs to go do more and make plays so it's the Bryce show
DeleteYep I sure would like it if Keene was healthy enough. Not feeling great with Jadyn Davis as the backup right now.
ReplyDeleteMGo YMRMFSPA = Nick Sheridan (+). I'd go with Cade McNamara: hand the ball off and (occasionally) give him easy throws where the (low bar) receivers can make a play
ReplyDeleteNah it's Cade. Seth's case for Cade is better than Sheridan. He's just leaning into the physical traits.
DeleteSheridan was a 1 star walk on who stunk even in the RR stats friendly offense. His best trait was his brain yeah, but he could run a little bit. Cade was a 4 star but still short and unexceptional arm strength. Supposedly gets by with brain but that proved to be overrated at Iowa. Water has found it's level and Cade is at East Tennessee State Tech College while Keene is at Michigan. They are pretty similar but if I had to choose I would choose Keene over Cade, and even without the Michigan baggage, I would say that for a neutral place like say Bowling Green. Keene is a better QB.
I made the mistake of downloading the Mountain West Network thinking, if anyone can get something out of The Gimmick it's Dan Mullings, against an FCS Defense
ReplyDeleteOof