To put it simply, the 2026 Michigan football team will go as Bryce Underwood goes.
If the former five-star prospect takes a big leap this season, becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten, the Wolverines should be a playoff team.
Even with Underwood as a freshman, Michigan was one win away. The Ohio State loss showed far how the Wolverines needed to go, or how far Underwood needed to go.
There were plays to be made in that game. Andrew Marsh was wide open multiple times, but Underwood just couldn't process what he was seeing. He wasn't developed properly, something that new Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham and his staff are working to fix.
Michigan football putting work in with Bryce Underwood
Whittingham addressed the development of Underwood this week, which has been a hot topic throughout the spring.
"I can't imagine he's going to face anyone more sophisticated than what he's getting this spring," Whittingham said via the Wolverine. "He’s improved overall, without a doubt. His footwork is better. He’s making better decisions. Still a work in progress, as is the whole football team, but Bryce is definitely taking steps forward in the spring, without a question.”
The footwork was shaky at times last season. There were some great games, like the wins against Wisconsin and Washington. But he didn't seem to take that next step as the season wore on. The fact that he didn't have a quarterbacks coach probably didn't help.
That's all been fixed now. Underwood is receiving the coaching he needs. He's also getting to face the complex defenses of Jay Hill, another thing that should help him in the future.
As much as Underwood has surely improved this spring, the arrow needs to keep pointing up. The better Bryce is, the better Michigan football will be.
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