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Kyle Whittingham, Michigan Dealt Bad News on Monday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jan 5, 2026 6:26 PM ET

Kyle Whittingham made a name for himself after 20 seasons as the head coach of the Utah Utes, leading them to 177 wins and two Pac-12 titles. But in late December, he was hired to be the 22nd head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, leading them in the 41-27 Citrus Bowl loss against Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns.

Whittingham joined Michigan after the program was forced to fire head coach Sherrone Moore on Dec. 10. Moore, who spent two seasons with the Wolverines, was dismissed after it was determined that “he was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

Since then, Michigan has lost multiple quarterbacks to the transfer portal, including Davis Warren and Jaydn Davis. On Monday, Whittingham and the Wolverines lost a third.

Michigan Wolverines quarterback Mikey Keene (7) warms up ahead of the Washington game© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mikey Keene, the 5-foot-11 quarterback out of Chandler High School (Chandler, Arizona), was a three-star prospect in the class of 2021 (247Sports). He ranked as the 69th-best quarterback in his class, along with the 18th-best out of the state of Arizona.

Keene initially joined the UCF Knights, spending two seasons there before transferring to the Fresno State Bulldogs in 2023, where he spent another two years. In his first four seasons, Keene completed 793-of-1,170 passes for 8,245 yards, 65 touchdowns and 28 interceptions.

In 2025, he transferred again to Michigan with one year of eligibility remaining. However, he was forced to take a medical redshirt because of a shoulder injury, leaving freshman Bryce Underwood as the starter. But on Monday, Keene decided it was time for a change, entering the college football transfer portal.

"Michigan QB Mikey Keene has entered the NCAA transfer portal, Pete Nakos reports," On3's Transfer Portal wrote on Instagram.

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With Keene’s departure, Whittingham and Michigan have now lost 19 players to the transfer portal. The Wolverines will have work to do this offseason if they hope to improve on their 9-4 record from the 2025 season and return to the College Football Playoff.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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