Kyle Whittingham gives Bryce Underwood high marks as the light is coming on for Michigan QB

Bryce Underwood struggled in the Michigan football spring game, and it left a lasting impression that he was still the same quarterback who suffered as many ups as downs as a true freshman starter.

Underwood held his own for the Wolverines. People who act like he was some sort of failure don't understand football or quarterback development. Underwood accounted for just 17 total touchdowns in 13 games. That will need to improve.

With a dedicated QB coach this season, Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham is putting Underwood in a position to succeed in a way Sherrone Moore never did. Jason Beck is also one of the best offensive coordinators in college football. He's got a history of developing quarterbacks, too, such as Devon Dampier.

Speaking with the Big Ten Network on Wednesday, during its stop in Ann Arbor for the annual training camp tour, Whittingham didn't hold back in his praise for Underwood, giving the Michigan football quarterback an A+ for his effort so far in fall camp.

Kyle Whittingham gives Bryce Underwood the highest marks possible

"Much further ahead than he was at the end of spring. ... So far, through six practices, I grade him an A+," Whittingham said.

Underwood has already looked like a different quarterback so far in fall camp. There have been multiple clips circulating on social media. They are just one or two plays, but Underwood looks different throwing the ball, more fundamentally sound.

We'll see how it looks with a pass rush. Whittingham made it seem like he has taken a big step forward. This is about the the time when the light came on for J.J. McCarthy when he was a sophomore. He stopped turning the ball over, and earned a starting opportunity from Jim Harbaugh.

Once McCarthy got on the field, he never left.

Underwood was thrust into a starting role before he was ready for it. His talent helped him produce some really solid moments, though. Watch the USC, Wisconsin, or Maryland games if you think he's some sort of terrible quarterback. There were moments last season. He just needs to be more consistent.

Experience means a lot in quarterbacking. Julian Sayin would have looked a lot different if he were a true freshman starter. There's a reason Notre Dame didn't have CJ Carr start right away, or why Dante Moore didn't even make it through a full season starting at UCLA.

College football is hard. Things seem like they are slowing down for Bryce. Talent has never been an issue. Seeing the field and sticking to his mechanics have been. He's improved in those areas, at least according to what we have seen and been told.

We won't really know anything about Underwood until he takes on the Oklahoma Sooners, led by defensive guru Brent Venables.

Michigan fans should be encouraged, though. Whittingham seems to be.

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