Michigan football fans have started to get a little uneasy after seeing some key players have entered the transfer portal since it opened on Friday.
One player who hasn't entered is star quarterback Bryce Underwood. The former five-star who started every game for the Wolverines during the 2025 season is viewed as the key piece of Michigan's championship foundation.
If Underwood comes back, surely, plenty of other pieces will fall into place. When it comes to roster retention, he has always been priority No. 1.
Kyle Whittingham, the new Michigan football head coach, has been busy building a staff. Yet, he's been working on a deal to get Underwood back in the fold, and said to Dave Portnoy on "Wake Up Barstool" that an announcement could come "pretty soon."
Will Bryce Underwood be returning to Michigan?
— Wake Up Barstool (@wakeupbarstool) January 5, 2026
"I think Bryce is in a good place right now, and I think he might be getting an announcement here pretty soon." - Kyle Whittingham pic.twitter.com/zz1VfGMu0z
Kyle Whittingham teases good news on Bryce Underwood
“I think Bryce is in a good place right now, and I think he might be getting an announcement here pretty soon. And he seems to really enjoy his time here. He has enjoyed his time here, and he is one of the team leaders. He’s a young guy, but he’s one of the team leaders, obviously by virtue of the position. And so he is a guy that we think is going to be a part of what we’re doing going forward. But you gotta… You never know until it’s a done deal," Whittingham said on Monday.
It has always felt like Underwood was going to return as Michigan football's starting quarterback. The hiring of Jason Beck certainly helped, at least one would assume, but if Whittingham can get this first domino to fall, others should follow.