Michigan football officially signs transfer QB Mikey Keene: 'Broke man's Kyler Murray'

Michigan football officially signs transfer QB Mikey Keene: ‘Broke man’s Kyler Murray’

Posted by Admin December 29, 2024 Football

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TAMPA, Fla. — Even with the nation’s No. 1 high school recruit heading to Ann Arbor for the 2025 season (and already in maize and blue), Michigan football wanted an experienced quarterback on the roster.

The Wolverines got exactly that on Sunday when the program announced the signing of transfer QB Mikey Keene. Keene, who started four seasons at UCF (2021-22) and Fresno State (2023-24), has played in 39 games and completed 67.8% of his passes (793-for-1170) for 65 touchdowns and 28 interceptions.

“Excited to get to work!,” Keene posted on social media. “Go Blue.”

Keene’s time with UCF overlapped in 2022 with another new face for the Wolverines: incoming offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey (who was hired earlier this month from North Carolina). That season, Keene completed 72.3% (60-for-83) of his passes for 647 yards, six touchdowns and one interception in four games before missing the bulk of the season with injury.

Not only did U-M’s new offensive mind have familiarity with the 5-foot-11, 200-pound signal caller, but all of Michigan’s staff did after facing him in U-M’s Week 1 30-10 win over Fresno State.

The game wasn’t as lopsided as the score suggests; it was 16-10 in the fourth quarter before a Will Johnson 86-yard pick-six helped seal the victory. Prior to that mistake, Keene kept the Bulldogs in the game in Ann Arbor, completing 22 of 36 (61.1%) of his passes for 235 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

“I think he’s a very talented kid that’s accurate on the run,” defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said Saturday. “We know he’s tough … because we hit him. I’m excited that he’s part of our squad now.”

Michigan featured one of the worst passing offenses in America in 2024, ranking No. 129 in passing offense (133.6 yards per game) and next-to-last among Power Four teams (ahead of only Iowa).

Head coach Sherrone Moore is thrilled to have incoming freshman Bryce Underwood on the roster, but the five-star recruit is still 17 years old until mid-August while the Wolverines hit the road to face SEC squad Oklahoma in Week 2. That’s a mighty tall task for someone who threw a pair of interceptions against Novi Detroit Catholic Central the last time he was on a football field.

But with Keene officially in the fold, U-M has a pair of options it feels good about entering Moore’s second season..

That’s different than 2024, when U-M entered the year with multiple unproven QBs, most of whom have since scattered. Jack Tuttle retired and is now in a coaching role for U-M, Jayden Denegal transferred to San Diego State and Alex Orji (though he’s on hand for bowl practices) has also entered the transfer portal.

Only senior Davis Warren, who has implied he intends to return in 2025, and true freshman Jadyn Davis appear as if they’ll be holdovers. That’s why U-M has brought in not only Underwood, but Keene, whom Martindale jokingly compared to a current NFL QB.

“I call him a broke man’s Kyler Murray.”

Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.