Name: Tommy Carr
Age: 19
Birthday: August 30, 2007
Born: Saline, Michigan
Net Worth: Approximately $60,000
Fun Fact: In September 2025, Tommy Carr threw a school-record eight touchdown passes in a single game to lead Saline High School to a 61-34 win over Dexter.
Tommy Carr's net worth is still measured in the tens of thousands of dollars rather than the millions, but the 19-year-old Michigan quarterback just delivered one of the most valuable performances in college football this season. On October 17, 2026, Carr came off the bench at halftime to replace Bryce Underwood, the Wolverines' quarterback carrying a reported $12 million NIL deal, and calmly steered Michigan to a 21-18 comeback win over Penn State. In an era when eight-figure quarterback contracts dominate the sport, a freshman from Saline, Michigan, with one of the most famous last names in Wolverines history reminded everyone that pedigree, poise, and production still matter.
Who Is Tommy Carr? The Freshman With Two Hall of Fame Grandfathers
Tommy Carr is a freshman quarterback for the University of Michigan Wolverines. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, he wears jersey No. 14 and calls Saline, Michigan, home. He was born on August 30, 2007, to Jason and Tammi Carr, both University of Michigan graduates. His father, Jason, was a backup quarterback for the Wolverines from 1992 to 1995.
But it is his two grandfathers that make Tommy Carr's family tree unlike almost any other in college football. His paternal grandfather is Lloyd Carr, who served as Michigan's head coach from 1995 to 2007, compiled a 122-40 record, won a share of the 1997 national championship, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011. His maternal grandfather is Tom Curtis, a two-time All-American safety at Michigan from 1966 to 1969 who still holds program interception records and is also a College Football Hall of Famer. Tommy is the younger brother of C.J. Carr, the starting quarterback at rival Notre Dame, and a brother of the late Chad Carr, who died in 2015 at age five after battling DIPG, a rare childhood brain cancer. In Chad's memory, the family founded the ChadTough Foundation to fund pediatric brain tumor research.
Football Royalty and a “House Divided”
The Carr-Curtis household is a genuine college football dynasty. Tammi Carr, Tommy's mother, has joked that the family is a “house divided” as her two quarterback sons suit up for rival programs. That connection was on full display this season: when Tommy scored the first touchdown of his college career in September, his grandfather was in the stands, and Michigan's social media team captured the scene, writing, “The great Lloyd Carr in the stadium to watch his grandson score his first college touchdown. What a great moment.”
That legacy comes with perspective. Before the wins and the hype, the Carrs lived through the loss of Chad, and they turned their grief into one of the most prominent pediatric cancer charities in the country. For Tommy Carr, football has always been about more than money; it is about carrying a name, and a cause, forward.
From Saline High School Star to Wolverines Backup
Before Ann Arbor, Carr was a record-setting quarterback at Saline High School. Over two seasons as the starter, he threw for 5,247 yards and 64 touchdowns while posting an 18-5 record. As a senior in 2025, he completed 176 of 254 passes (69.3%) for 2,737 yards, 37 touchdowns, and only six interceptions, while adding 276 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground. That fall he also threw a school-record eight touchdown passes in a single game against Dexter, finishing as an ALL-USA Team finalist and a four-star recruit.
Despite his Michigan bloodlines, Carr initially committed to Miami (Ohio) before flipping to the Wolverines in November 2025. He entered the 2026 season as Michigan's No. 2 quarterback and threw the first touchdown of his college career on September 21, 2026.
The Penn State Moment That Put Tommy Carr on the Map
Carr's national breakthrough came on October 17, 2026. Michigan trailed Penn State 3-0 at halftime after two first-half turnovers by starter Bryce Underwood, and first-year head coach Kyle Whittingham made the change, handing the offense to the freshman. Carr converted a third down with a 12-yard touchdown run, and the Wolverines went on to score all 21 of their points in the second half, recovering an onside kick to seal a 21-18 victory.
The irony was impossible to ignore: Michigan benched a quarterback reportedly earning up to $12 million in total NIL value, roughly $250,000 per game, for a freshman valued at just $60,000. The switch worked, and it instantly made Tommy Carr one of the most talked-about names in the Big Ten.
Tommy Carr's Net Worth and NIL Valuation in 2026
As of October 2026, Tommy Carr's net worth is estimated at approximately $60,000. That figure tracks closely with his NIL valuation from The NIL Standard, which pegs the Michigan quarterback at $60,000, one of the lower figures on a roster headlined by Underwood's eight-figure deal. Sports Illustrated has noted that Carr ranks among the lower-paid players on Michigan's roster, and NIL tracking platforms rate his current on-field performance near the bottom of the roster while still crediting him with strong social media power and growing visibility.
For context, the quarterback he replaced holds an NIL valuation of roughly $3 million per year at On3, with a four-year package reported between $10 million and $12 million. Carr's modest $60,000 valuation reflects his status as a backup-turned-spark rather than a full-time starter with a national brand, for now.
What's Next for Tommy Carr's Earning Potential
Carr's earning power is almost certainly headed up. If he builds on the Penn State performance and claims the starting job, his NIL valuation could climb from five figures into six or even seven, especially given his built-in storylines: the Carr name, the family rivalry with Notre Dame, and the ChadTough Foundation connection that makes him an appealing brand ambassador. A strong college career could also put him on NFL draft boards, where even a mid-round quarterback contract is worth millions.
None of that is guaranteed, and that is precisely what made his October moment so compelling. A player worth a fraction of his competition changed the game anyway.
The Bottom Line
Tommy Carr's net worth today is modest, roughly $60,000 driven almost entirely by his early NIL valuation, yet his value to Michigan football proved immeasurable on a single October afternoon. The grandson of two Hall of Fame legends, the son of a Michigan quarterback, and the brother of a Notre Dame starter is now writing a story of his own, one comeback win and one touchdown at a time. As his role grows, so will his earnings, and for now, the Wolverines may have found their most valuable bargain at the most important position on the field.
