It's safe to say that things didn't quite go to plan for 5-star quarterback Bryce Underwood during his freshman season in 2025. While he showed flashes of brilliance at times, Michigan finished the year 9-4, did not reach the College Football Playoff and Sherrone Moore ended up getting fired due to off-field issues.
Michigan's recruiting momentum reaches new heights with flip of 4-star Bama commit
Since then, there's a fresh start for the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, with Kyle Whittingham winning over countless people. It sure looks like Underwood is a big fan of Whittingham too. In a recent interview with On3's Chris Low, Underwood opened up on the big changes he sees coming for next season, with Michigan looking like 'more of a team' right now being on the list:
NEW: Bryce Underwood to @Clowfb on Michigan's struggles last season:
— On3 (@On3) May 24, 2026
"We went through a lot, but I think we're going to be more player-led this season. I feel like we are more of a team now."https://t.co/tkeP8RHK6H https://t.co/dVA0VHMWis pic.twitter.com/GtyZFer3Ih
Bryce Underwood and Michigan have a huge 2026 season in mind
That's quite the message there from Underwood, who knows that his play is going to be watched under a microscope next campaign. Originally, the superstar QB was LSU-bound, but then Michigan kept pushing and pushing to flip him. The expectations for him in the Big Ten truly could not be higher right now.
In 2025, the 6-4, 228-pounder tossed for 2,428 yards, 11 touchdowns, but also nine interceptions. Those stats were a bit underwhelming, which led to countless haters racing to call Underwood a 5-star bust. However, it was his true freshman season and we knew there were going to be some growing pains for him.
This offseason, the youngster has been working overtime to improve his game, focusing on his mechanics too. During spring ball, the Michigan faithful were quick to notice a different throwing motion for Underwood, which will surely make a huge impact for him this fall and winter. With Whittingham now in charge, the Wolverines are hoping to get back to the Playoff.
That's not going to be easy, but the pieces are in place for the Wolverines to make a splash in '26 thanks to a loaded high school recruiting class, plus some impact players via the transfer portal. Whittingham wants to hit the ground running and remind everyone why Michigan hiring him was a brilliant call.
In order for UM to turn heads next season and post some impressive wins, it's all going to come down to how much Underwood develops in Year 2. He's not a baby-faced freshman anymore - and despite him still just being a sophomore, he needs to take a big step forward and make sure the offense is humming from start to finish once Week 1 rolls around. He's got the right mindset already, but he'll have to make sure he's at his best in order for the haters to be silenced.
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