Michigan Has Clear QB Problem as Bryce Underwood Isn't The Guy
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The Michigan Wolverines thought they had a star quarterback after landing Bryce Underwood.
Underwood was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2025 and the No. 1-ranked prospect. He was committed to the LSU Tigers before the Wolverines were able to flip him due to a massive NIL deal. It’s been reported that he got $12 million over four years, as the hope was that Underwood would get Michigan back to the promised land.
However, in his true freshman season, Underwood struggled. He finished the year throwing for 2,428 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions, while rushing for 392 yards and 6 touchdowns.
It was a season of up-and-downs, but many thought Underwood would be better in Year 2, especially after Michigan hired Kyle Whittingham as their head coach.
However, in Week 1, the Wolverines hosted Western Michigan, and Underwood looked even worse than last year. He made the wrong reads as he went 12-of-22 for 170 yards, a touchdown and an interception. And had there not been an extra second added to the end of the game, he wouldn’t have thrown for a touchdown, as he completed a 47-yard Hail Mary touchdown to help Michigan win 13-12.
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Underwood had plenty of hype, but it’s clear he hasn’t lived up to it, and Michigan could have to make a difficult move this offseason. If Underwood doesn’t drastically get better in terms of making reads and throwing the ball, the Wolverines could be forced to go out and add a new quarterback.
Even though Michigan beat Western Michigan, they host a stellar Brent Venables-led Oklahoma defense next week, which should make life uncomfortable for Underwood.
The Wolverines had hoped to get back to the playoffs this season, but with Underwood at quarterback, that doesn’t seem likely, as Michigan made a poor bet on the hype of Underwood.
Kyle Whittingham Defends Bryce Underwood
Although Underwood struggled against a MAC team in Western Michigan, Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham defended his play.
Whittingham doesn’t believe the lack of offensive success falls on Underwood; instead, he believes he didn’t put the offense in a good position to succeed.
“I’m not saying that Bryce played a bad game. This isn’t on Bryce Underwood. It’s on me,” Whittingham said postgame on Saturday. “And I’ve got to figure out a way to have these guys better prepared and be able to get into a rhythm offensively. It’s like we never got into a rhythm after that first drive.
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“We always found a way to screw it up. We were like 0-of-5 or 0-of-6 before we converted a third down, I believe. And you just can’t win football games like that. We were very fortunate to win, obviously.”
Whittingham, meanwhile, said he didn’t talk to Underwood much during the game, as he left that to offensive coordinator Jason Beck and quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr., who are with him all week.
Ultimately, Whittingham will need Underwood to be much better ASAP if Michigan has any chance of competing this season, but that seems unlikely.
This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Sep 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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