The running game will return in earnest
You hear this narrative about how the running game carried J.J. McCarthy during the 2023 national championship season for Michigan football. Still, the Wolverines only averaged 169 yards per game and 4.5 yards per attempt.
Part of that was Blake Corum getting healthy. He wasn't the same player in September and October that year as he was in November when he was finally 100 percent again.
Last season, without any semblance of a passing game or without a running quarterback, Michigan football averaged 157.2 yards per game with an average of 4.2. Alex Orji was used as a running quarterback some but had just 25 attempts for the season.
I'd be stunned if Underwood only had 25 attempts, which includes sacks. I'd expect him to be in the 60-75 range in terms of rushing attempts this season. That will keep defenses honest in the zone-read but will also lead to some explosive plays -- that have been available for years if Michigan football would just run the quarterback, something it could have done more with J.J. McCarthy.
All that being said, all the fall camp intel points to an improved offensive line. With Underwood, along with Haynes and Marshall, this running game will get back to 200 yards per game in 2025, for the first time since 2022.