He was the Most Hyped Recruit in College Football. Has Bryce Underwood Met his High Expectations?
Bryce Underwood didn’t come into this college football season as your typical unknown freshman. Instead, he arrived with the expectations and spotlight that follow a No. 1 quarterback recruit.
In large part, his high expectations came with his high price tag; Underwood will get paid between $10 million to $12 million through a record-breaking Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal.
Bryce is also a ‘hometown hero’ as he was born and raised in nearby Belleville, Michigan. Underwood upended the recruiting world last November when he flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan, a decision that immediately reframed the Wolverines’ post-title transition and put him in a clear spot to be the immediate starter.
Head Coach Sherrone Moore made it official by late August, declaring that Underwood would be Michigan’s starting quarterback to open the season. He would be the program’s first true freshman starter since 2009. Moore emphasized the choice was earned through Underwood’s poise and production demonstrated in camp training sessions—not his media hype.
So how has he fared so far in his first season? Mostly well. Through seven games, Underwood has thrown for 1,440 yards with seven touchdowns against just two interceptions.
The young quarterback is coming off his best game of the season against a solid Washington team this past weekend. The most encouraging part of this most recent game was his efficiency, as he completed a career high 77.8 percent of his passes, substantially higher than his season mark of 62.4 percent.
He has played relatively clean football, as evidenced by only 2 interceptions in 7 games, which is huge given that this is an area most young quarterbacks commonly struggle with.
Most importantly—in my opinion—is that Underwood looks the part. Despite turning 18 just before the season started, Underwood has looked like a seasoned veteran on the field and has made a couple of ‘wow’ throws that give Michigan fans a glimpse of what’s to come.
Michigan’s offensive game plan has enraged many fans, with the conservative play calling, which has not helped Bryce’s case, although it has also protected him from taking hits and being at a higher risk of turning the ball over.
Coming into the season, many fans were enamored by his ability to not only throw the ball but also by his running prowess. However, this has not been on full display this season. Underwood has only gone over 25 rushing yards twice this season.
He is definitely more than capable, as evidenced by his 114 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground in a win over Central Michigan, but the lack of designed runs, along with his reluctance to take off, has led to less explosive runs so far.
Michigan entrusted a massive job to an 18-year-old quarterback and—seven games in—he’s shown flashes of the star many expected to see. The big plays will come with reps and more trust from the coaching staff, along with hopefully more weapons around him in the years to come. He clearly has all the ability that made him such a highly touted prospect, but he needs to be fully unleashed to reach his full potential.
The rest of his season will be interesting, as outside of Ohio State, the Wolverines have a relatively soft schedule. This should be used to start ramping up explosive plays and bolster confidence. Justice Haynes has been unbelievable in the run game, but eventually, defenses will key in on taking him away. Michigan doesn’t have an embarrassment of riches at receiver, but they have enough to start mixing it up a little more and to let Bryce take some of the load off of Haynes.
The start of a college career is never the whole story, yet the early chapters often tell you how the story will unfold. If the first half of 2025 is any indication, Bryce Underwood has brought a spark to the Wolverines that was non-existent last season, and he’s doing it faster than most quarterbacks his age even get to try.
For a program with National Championships aspirations, we fans have to be patient and realize this is more of a growth year. However, with what we’ve seen from Underwood, it won’t be long until Michigan is back in the National Championship conversation.
About the Author
Hayden Suslow is a sports reporter for The Michigan Review.
