Michigan football grade for Bryce Underwood clear: 'Markedly better'
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Like most college teams, Michigan football's ceiling will be determined by its quarterback.
Bryce Underwood – the talk of the town since he arrived in Ann Arbor in January 2025 as a 17-year-old and the nation's top-ranked recruit – is set to begin the biggest season of his career.
Underwood struggled last season as a true freshman and while some of the blame goes on him − primarily for the hype he fed with statements to the media and less-than-stellar mechanical habits − it was also due to a lack of support around him: A distracted head coach, no quarterback coach, an offensive coordinator that didn't accentuate his strengths, middling wide receiver depth and a young offensive line.
But after eight months under the Kyle Whittingham regime, the hype train for Underwood is again rolling down the tracks. In August, there was offensive coordinator Jason Beck saying that Underwood had 13 of 13 good practices at that point. There's an expectation that he'll be more dynamic with his legs and better at deciding when to take changes and when to settle.
Still, there's still one more critical layer.
"We feel he's markedly better through fall camp than he was at any point in spring," Whittingham said. "Now there hasn't been any live work for him. Obviously, he's not being tackled [and we've] been keeping the linemen away from him because [we don't want him to] throw and follow through and hit a helmet or something like that.
"So we've been very protective of Bryce, but how he's operated and how he's gone through his reads, just how he's got command of the offense is way further ahead than what you saw in spring. And how that translates when everything's live, we'll find out in five days."
'Our goal is to win the Big Ten'
It was July in Chicago when Whittingham tamped down expectations for the upcoming season.
He said that the Wolverines' roster (particularly its depth) was a year or two away from being where he truly wanted it and that a successful season in Year 1 would mean U-M is playing in "meaningful" football games in November.
After nearly a month of fall camp, nearing the season opener against Western Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 5 (7:30 p.m., NBC), Whittingham is ready for "Christmas time, unwrapping the present to see what you got."
Right now? He believes he has a team that can compete at the top of the league, after he called winning in Indianapolis the team's "ultimate goal."
“Our team goal is 'win the Big Ten,'” Whittingham said as he previewed the season opener. “If you do that, then you're going to have a chance to play beyond that. Right now at Michigan, how can it not be a goal to win the Big Ten?”
"[At U-M], you'd better have that in the back of your mind − or the forefront of your mind, I guess I should say."
Tommy Carr tabbed as backup quarterback
True freshman Tommy Carr entered fall camp as the Wolverines' No. 2 quarterback. After a push from Colorado State transfer Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, as described by Beck, Whittingham announced Monday that Carr had won the battle to backup Underwood.
Carr was frequently praised during spring practice but quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. described the race as "neck-and-neck" last week. But it appears the former three-star recruit out of Saline − and the younger brother of Notre Dame starting quarterback (and Heisman Trophy contender) CJ Carr − has done enough to be trusted as the backup.
Carr impressed in April's spring game, completing 21 of 30 passes for 143 yards to go with a team-high 59 rushing yards. Afterwards, he said one of his main goals was to get bigger in the offseason. He has since added 10 pounds, entering the season at 195.
"From an evaluation aspect, it's really just looking at that consistency at each practice and scrimmages," Detmer said. "Are we making the right reads, the right decisions, and helping our offense be productive? … Tommy, he has some savviness about him where he's just out there playing ball.
"I'd say right now, [both are] working really hard, and they're going to make that a competitive spot whoever does win it."
Trio of players raise stock in fall camp
Channing Goodwin was the first name out of Whittingham's mouth when asked who had raised their stock the most in fall camp. The wide receiver was hurt much of spring but "is a guy that really came into his own this fall."
Another was sophomore edge-rusher Nate Marshall. After what Whittingham described as some "struggles" for Marshall this spring, he is said to have matured and become an excellent teammate, as his raw talent has started to shine through during practice.
"[Did] some things that I wasn't a little pleased with off the field, but he was really grown up in the last eight months," Whittingham said. "Hopefully, he stays on that trajectory [because] he's one of the best pass rushers on the team, if not the best pure pass rusher. He's got a real talent for bending the edge."
Another fall riser: Chase Taylor, who Whittingham said is "functioning like a big time linebacker." He and Nathaniel Staehling have both been praised and could be the two starters in the middle on defense, though it's likely Troy Bowles and Nate Owusu-Boateng are featured as well.
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
For openers: Broncos
Matchup: Michigan (9-4 in 2025) vs. Western Michigan (10-4 in 2025); season opener.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5; Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor.
TV/radio: NBC; WCSX-FM (94.7).
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football grade for Bryce Underwood clear: 'Markedly better'
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