Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood makes bold, ridiculous claim

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A little humility can go a long way, but someone forgot to tell Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood that. There's no debate about his athletic ability as one of the best quarterbacks in the 2025 class, but the jury is still out on him translating that to the quarterback position at the college level.

While at a youth camp recently, Underwood made a confident and curious claim during a short interview with a reporter. He went full-out football God when asked about this upcoming year under the new coaching staff that includes new head coach Kyle Whittingham.

"I want to prove to myself that I am what I think I am," said Underwood. "I feel like I'm the best player to ever come out of Michigan, and now it's time to show it … Cause I've worked for it." When asked if he's working differently under the new staff, Underwood simply stated that he's working smarter.

Time to bring a couple of things into the light. First off, Underwood had a very underwhelming freshman campaign in the Maize and Blue. He passed for 2,428 yards on 202-of-335 passes (60.3%). He tossed just 11 touchdowns to eight interceptions. In other words, not the best stat line in today's game at all. Now, maybe he figures it out this season and beyond, but those aren't numbers anyone would consider the best at much of anything.

Still, we'll allow for some improvement to meet those standards.

Secondly, let's talk about athletes who have come out of Michigan. We don't know if he's talking about the University of Michigan or the state of Michigan high school, but either way, that's a rather bold claim. We don't have to go through the great players that have played for the Wolverines, but I don't think anyone in their right mind would put Underwood in the same stratosphere as Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson, or Tom Brady, and that's just scratching the surface.

If Underwood is comparing himself to high school players coming out of Michigan, then that's a little less daunting, but still a problem. We're now talking about guys like Michigan All-American running back Tyrone Wheatley, All-American Michigan State receiver Charles Rodgers, and Pittsburgh Steelers great Jerome Bettis. That's still a high bar.

Underwood might end up being correct using the last group because Michigan high school football isn't nearly as storied as Ohio's and other states like Florida, Texas, and California, but let's first try to be a serviceable quarterback in the FBS before making such claims.

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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood makes bold, ridiculous claim

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