Michigan football wrapped up spring ball on Saturday as Wolverines fans finally got their first look at Bryce Underwood playing for the Maize and Blue.
Underwood flashed his talent during the game. He also offered some reminders that he's a freshman. Beyond that, spring games aren't the best evaluating tool.
It's like the NFL preseason, there's only so much you can learn from it. However, we learned a lot during the course of the spring and here are the five most important things.
Bryce Underwood is ready to start
Underwood isn't going to be perfect. There will be ups and downs. There will be growing pains. That's life with a freshman quarterback.
But the kid lived up to the hype this spring. Players and coaches raved about everything from his arm, to his athleticism, to his attitude/work ethic.
Underwood has future captain written all over him. Not only does he have an elite arm, similar to J.J. McCarthy, but he can move. He makes good decisions, too, and that skill will only improve with more seasoning.
it's also important to remember that Underwood doesn't need to set the world on fire. All he really needs to be is a more dynamic version of Cade McNamara, at least to win next season. The defense wil be elite and the running game will be, too.
Underwood just needs to get Michigan's pass offense to the 21st century in terms of being able to exectute the forward pass. That's a little tongue in cheek. The point remains though, if the Wolverines offense is just average in 2025, this team will have a shot to make the College Football Playoff.
The running back room is loaded
Benjamin Hall left, however, Michigan football replaced him with CJ Hester, a dude who rushed for 74 yards on 15 attempts against Georgia last season. The former UMass running back averaged 4.9 yards per attempt and has two seasons of eligibility.
Michigan football didn't use its third running back much the past two seasons. Yet, if another is needed, you want a quality option and Hester is that.
Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes will get the bulk of the carries. Marshall has the better chance to rush for 1,000 yards, but I have a feeling Haynes will be one of the best complementary backs in the country.
Haynes will get more touches, a lot more than he got at Alabama, and Michigan football will reap the reward of that.
Offensive tackle is a weakness
If Michigan football could add a starting-caliber left tackle in the transfer portal, it could kill two birds with one stone.
That would allow Michigan to move Evan Link inside to guard. He struggled at right tackle last season, yet did improve as a run blocker as the season wore on.
It's clear he struggles with pass protection. I don't see that changing overnight. Sherrone Moore didn't indicate that he was one of the starters as he did with Greg Crippen, Giovanni El-Hadi, and Andrew Sprague.
Those three players will start. The other sports are up for grabs. Brady Norton, a Cal-Poly transfer, doesn't look the part, but played well. Andrew Babalola looks the part. However, as a true freshman, he might not be ready.
If a tackle isn't added, Michigan will choose between Link, Norton, and Babalola. Those aren't the worst choices, however, a proven pass protector would go a long way.
Michigan's defense is still elite
The Wolverines are losing three NFL draft picks on the defensive line. Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant should each go in the first round, but even with those departures, the Wolverines will have one of the best defenses in college football, once again.
Rayshaun Benny and Derrick Moore will come into their own this season and by that, I mean dominating week in and week out. T.J. Guy is right there. Dom Nichols looks like an animal, and people forget Cameron Brandt had three sacks last season.
Even with the loss of Josaiah Stewart, the Wolverines are bringing back 12.5 sacks among their EDGE players to go along with 17 tackles for loss. Add Nichols to that group, and you should have an elite pass rush.
Six players can play along the defensive line. Four of them played extensively when Michigan football dominated the line of scrimmage against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
The secondary is stacked. The safety trio of TJ Metcalf, Brandyn Hillman, and Rod Moore will be incredible. Mason Curtis should be in the mix, too. Michigan also has a ton of young corners such as Jo'Ziah Edmond, Tevis Metcalf, Shamari Earls, and Jeremiah Lowe, who intercepted two passes during the spring game on Saturday.
I'd be shocked if the Wolverines didn't have a top-10 scoring defense in 2025. Wink Martindale is going to wreak havoc.
Young talent is ascending
The transfer portal is all the rage. However, teams that improve from within and develop their own talent will still rule the day in college football.
This spring, there are plenty of reasons to feel good about that from a Michigan football perspective. Not only is Underwood poised to take over the starting job, but sophomore Jordan Marshall is poised to be RB1, along with having a true sophomore at right tackle.
Shamari Earls has turned heads at cornerback from day one. Jamar Browder and Andrew Marsh have impressed on offense too, along with sophomore tight end Hogan Hansen.
The development of guys like Cole Sullivan, Mason Curtis, Zeke Berry, Jyaire Hill, Benny, Moore, and the like have me really excited though. Michigan has both of its starting cornerbacks, at least from the end of last season, returning.
Will Johnson was CB1 when healthy. Yet, Berry and Hill started down the stretch. It's hard to see how they aren't improved. Even though tackle is a concern for 2025, it won't be after that.
Babalola and Sprague wil give Michigan football an elite tandem, maybe even in 2025. You have other good players waiting in the wings, too, so even though the Wolverines have made mostly under-the-radar moves in the portal, the roster is in good shape for 2025 and beyond.