‘Whoever Graded (Bryce) Underwood a 5-Star QB Should Be Interrogated’ — Former USC All-American Pulls No Punches in Brutal Assessment of Michigan QB
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Bryce Underwood was supposed to be one of the easier players to believe in at Michigan. He arrived as the top recruit in his class, carried enormous expectations, and soon became one of the biggest names on the Wolverines’ roster. But after a loss that exposed plenty of problems on offense, the conversation around the sophomore quarterback took a much harsher turn.
One former USC star was not interested in giving Underwood much benefit of the doubt, and his reaction to what unfolded against Minnesota was about as direct as it gets.
Su’a Cravens Rips Bryce Underwood After 20-14 Michigan Loss
Former USC All-American and NFL safety Su’a Cravens took aim at Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood following the Wolverines’ 20-14 loss to Minnesota.
Rather than focusing only on Underwood’s individual mistakes, Cravens questioned the recruiting evaluations that once made him the consensus No. 1 player in the 2025 class.
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“Whoever graded Underwood as a 5 ⭐️ QB should be interrogated for their reasoning and waterboarded lol this is hard to watch man…” Cravens wrote on X.
The reaction came after Underwood completed just 10 of 21 passes for 101 yards. He threw two interceptions, failed to record a passing touchdown, and endured multiple sacks as Michigan struggled to create enough offense against the Golden Gophers. Underwood currently has a 75.1 impact score on PFN’s CFB QB Impact Metric, ranking 76th among quarterbacks in the nation.
The final sequence only added to the frustration. Facing 4th-and-5 with the game still within reach, Underwood threw the ball out of bounds, ending Michigan’s final chance to extend the drive and effectively sealing Minnesota’s victory.
This performance stands in sharp contrast to the expectations that followed Underwood to Ann Arbor. He was a consensus five-star recruit and the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 class after his time at Belleville High School.
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Underwood initially committed to LSU before flipping to Michigan and arrived with major expectations, including an NIL package widely reported in the eight figures, with estimates ranging from roughly $10.5 million to as much as $12.5 million over four years.
Cravens’ personal perspective on the recruiting process makes more sense because the former safety was himself a five-star prospect. Additionally, highly rated players do not always develop in line with their rankings, so his point is understandable.
Meanwhile, the loss has also led to questions about Michigan’s quarterback situation. Analyst Rick Neuheisel has urged head coach Kyle Whittingham to consider backup Tommy Carr as the Wolverines look for answers on offense.
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“Kyle Whittingham and the Michigan Wolverines need to move away from Bryce Underwood, Neuheisel said. It doesn’t have to be a permanent deal, but it’s important that the team knows that the offense is not going well enough to stay with the status quo… Just let him learn a little bit from the sideline.”
Underwood is still Michigan’s quarterback, but the Minnesota loss has made his spot a much bigger talking point. Now, even the five-star label that followed him to Ann Arbor is being questioned, and Cravens had plenty to say about it.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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