All of the Eric Weddle outrage is justified, but the thing is, he is right. Weddle backed off his words a little bit on the Rich Eisen show.
For Underwood, though, he has a lot to work on between now and the beginning of the season. Creating all those expectations for him in year one was too soon, but that's what comes with being the No. 1 overall recruit. Instead of providing the rivals with bulletin board material, he should have just kept his mouth shut and let his mediocre play speak for itself.
To his defense, he had no quarterback guru in his corner to guide him. He was not your normal 18-year-old playing college football either. With that said, it's easy to see that the spotlight was to bright for him in year one. In his second stint, he has a dedicated quarterbacks coach who has worked with Jason Beck and comes from a family that knows the position all too well.
Resetting Underwood's goals in 2026
Before the season starts, Michigan football fans should temper their expectations about him. He's a teenager who didn't take the opportunity seriously enough and thus struggled to live up to the lofty expectations set by many, including myself. Taking baby steps may be the best thing for him to succeed in 2026.
One goal that should be obtainable is to pass for 3,000 yards. No quarterback has done that at Michigan since Shea Patterson in 2019. Underwood will have more around him to turn that goal into a reality. The next goal should be to combine for about 25 total touchdowns rushing and passing. Altogether he found paydirt 17 times as a freshman.
Cutting down on the turnovers should be a personal goal that he strives for the most. Hovering around the type of numbers that Devon Dampier had in 2025 should not be that hard to achieve, even though he will be enduring the toughest stretch of his young career.
Winning 10 games and making the playoff will be a difficult task, but should be the standard for Michigan almost every year. To do that, he will have to beat Oklahoma, Indiana, and maybe even Oregon or Ohio State on the road. Dreams of a Heisman and a national championship should go to the back burner for the foreseeable future.
A successful season in my book would be to outplay one of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten like Jayden Maiava or Josh Hoover. Then when he enters his junior campaign, he'll be in the discussion for one of the best returning quarterbacks that the NFL has been waiting for. For Underwood to accomplish these goals, he has to make learn how to make small strides before he can soar.
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