There are plenty of people who are starting to believe that the improvement of Michigan football quarterback this offseason is real.
You never really know what is coachspeak and what's real. But there have been others, in addition to head coach Kyle Whittingham, saying that Bryce Underwood has taken a big step forward. Andrew Marsh is among them. There are other players, too, such as Jordan Marshall, who said he thinks Underwood will be a Heisman candidate.
That might be taking it a bit far, but it's clear that Underwood looks like a much improved passer so far in fall camp. There have been multiple clips posted on social media where the footwork, the release, and the mechanics look better.
It feels like Underwood has improved. The only way to know is to see what happens on the field this fall. The Oklahoma game will be a huge test for the Michigan sophomore quarterback. He completed under 40 percent of his passes against the Sooners in Norman last season. He was also held to under 150 total yards.
Underwood had similar performances against Ohio State. He struggled in other games, too, like against Michigan State, where he struggled to complete passes in the second half.
Many have written off the former five-star quarterback, who was ranked No. 1 overall in the 2025 recruiting class. According to some quotes published by the Bleacher Report recently, opposing coaches aren't buying the hype.
— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) August 10, 2026
"Not impressed," were the words of one college football coach. Another said: "He just misses and misses. I don't see him as someone that's dangerous at all. He's a guy who can lose you some games."
Bryce Underwood has a lot to prove for Michigan in Kyle Whittingham's first season
It's fair to be skeptical. Underwood didn't meet expectations last season, although Whittingham was right to point oiut that the expectations were simply too high for the freshman quarterback. Underwood was partially to blame for that.
Underwood said he didn't regret those words this offseason. He still has time to live up to some of them, and if he needed any more motivation ahead of the 2026 season, he's got it.
Rival fans want to label Underwood a bust already and they aren't alone. Some analysts have been critical of him, too. Todd McShay said a ranking of Big Ten quarterbacks with Underwood in the top five was "criminal."
We will see who is right during this upcoming season. That's where this debate will be settled: On the field.
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