The 2026 season probably hasn't been the start Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood was hoping for when it comes to his performance. It probably hasn't been the start Whittingham was expecting either, especially when hinting at the fact that he isn't afraid to make a change at the position.
After a very rough performance in Week 1, Whittingham wasn't shy about saying Underwood's position isn't infinite as the starter. While it seemed like the sophomore didn't care about the comments, not even knowing about them, there was a fire in him against Oklahoma, and his performance helped the Wolverines beat the Sooners.
Whittingham came to Michigan, and it was expected that Underwood would be the starter, but if you ask the new Wolverines head coach, he wouldn't have it any other way.
"He [Bryce Underwood] does things the right way, and he is still very young in the big scheme of things. I mean, he just turned 19 years old a month ago," Whittingham said on "The Triple Option" podcast with Urban Meyer. "He is the team leader, you know, he was voted by a landslide team captain, and I think the best days are ahead for Bryce."
Kyle Whittingham thinks Bryce Underwood's best days are ahead of him pic.twitter.com/dPrt95ZqfE
— The Triple Option (@3xOptionShow) September 16, 2026
Bryce Underwood still has a lot of time to break out in 2026
With the amount of hype and buzz that came out of fall camp around Bryce Underwood, it felt like he would come out and just light it up on the field. Honestly, it has been more like showing flashes of improvement, but still working through the bad habits.
Week 1 was bad, but the first drive showed that Underwood can make good reads, he can make the throws, and he can have good fundamentals and footwork. It was after that that it felt like everything went back to the bad habits.
In Week 2, Underwood was under a lot of heat and even had his starting spot threatened if he didn't start performing better, and he went out there and didn't just look better, but led his team to an upset victory over No. 11 Oklahoma. Was it perfect? Absolutely not, but the improvement was there, which leaves room for growth throughout the season.
Teams don't want to peak too soon, so why would Underwood want to come out and play his best football right out of the gate? There is still so much time left for Underwood to have what would be considered a breakout season.
Now, Underwood needs a good game against UTEP on Saturday after the performance he had in Week 1 vs. Western Michigan. UTEP is a team that Underwood should be able to refine some of those problems and gett ready for Big Ten play for the rest of the season.
There is a lot expected of Underwood this season, but as long as he continues to improve as the season goes on and is playing his best football at the right time, that is all Whittingham and Co. can ask for.
Add us as a preferred source on Google