Former Utah legend and NFL player Eric Weddle set the Michigan world on fire over the weekend with some comments about quarterback Bryce Underwood's play. Well, it's more than just some comments, as the former player of Kyle Whittingham practically spoke about everything wrong with Underwood's game and believes the backup quarterback could easily be playing by Week 2.
These comments didn't go down very well with Michigan fans or with Underwood, who made a social media post telling Weddle to 'keep sleeping.' Now, should Weddle have made these comments as publicly as he did? Probably not, but the worst thing Underwood can do is respond and get further into the weeds with this one.
Michigan legends Jake Butt and Devin Gardner spoke about the situation on their podcast, "The Blue Print," and Butt practically gave Underwood the blueprint on how to handle this situation.
"For Bryce, I think, don't even acknowledge Eric Weddham, say, 'Hey, look, I wasn't good enough last year. I have to get better, man, there's so much in my game that I need to improve upon that appears weak.'" Butt said. "Meanwhile, keep laying bricks behind the scenes, because you will be strong, but appear that, I think, will be a sign of progress in self-awareness. I think that'll be a big indicator for me to believe that he's making that progress behind the scenes."
Devin Gardner and Jake Butt made some great points regarding Eric's comments about Bryce.
— Michigan Metal 〽️ (@Metaleka_) June 5, 2026
Bryce needs self-awareness.
A lot of the criticism he's receiving stems from the expectations and comments he set before his freshman season.
Stay humble. Let your play do the talking. pic.twitter.com/0UcPD0YruN
Bryce Underwood wasn't perfect in Year 1 and needs to take the step forward in Year 2
Underwood went through a lot of change going into college, as does every freshman, but he probably wasn't thinking that would be the case going into his second year, too. Underwood is now working with an entirely new coaching staff led by Kyle Whittingham, and the stakes could not be higher for the second-year gunslinger.
While Weddle's comments were certainly harsh, there was some truth behind what he was saying. Underwood was not the end all be all quarterabck fans hoped he would be as a freshman, and he talked his game up a lot, which makes sense coming out of high school as the No.1 prospect in his class with a $12 million NIL deal. That didn't do him any favors, though.
Heading into his second season, Underwood now has a lot of work to do to take that next step forward, and instead of clapping back at Weddle on social media, he should be on the field or in the weight room putting in the work. That is exactly what Butt is giving Underwood in terms of how to deal with this situation.
Acknowledging that he has faults will show growth in Underwood, while also working behind the scenes to slowly get better is what will help him take that step in his second season. Underwood only threw for 2,428 yards last season with 11 touchdowns, coupled with nine interceptions, giving him a rough touchdown-to-turnover ratio.
Michigan's offense has struggled heavily since the National Championship back in the 2023 season, and Underwood was meant to be the savior, and he still can be. He just needs to put the phone down and work more in the field to back up everything he has been saying.
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