There has been a steady stream of positive buzz about Michigan football quarterback Bryce Underwood as fall camp wraps up, to the point that it's hard to ignore.
Michigan fans have learned to take fall camp buzz with a grain of salt. You just don't know until you get to real games, but there's no doubt that Underwood has improved during fall camp.
The Wolverines released some clips on social media early in camp. There were some touchdown strikes to J.J. Buchanan and Andrew Marsh. The result wasn't the most important thing about those plays; it was how smooth Underwood looked throwing the ball. The mechanics were better; the footwork looked good.
That was a major problem last season. The fundmetals started to slip, especially if the pass protection wasn't great. It didn't help that Underwood didn't have a dedicated quarterback coach.
However, the former five-star quarterback has shown real maturity in fall camp. On the final offensive drive, it was reported that Underwood led a 16-play scoring drive. That's a sign of progress.
According to Chris Balas of The Wolverine, Underwood was "more decisive than I've ever seen him," according to one observer who communicated with the insider.
Kyle Whittingham said that Jason Beck, the Michigan offensive coordinator, has done a great job of "morphing" the offense to suit Underwood. The Michigan head coach said Underwood has shown steady improvement through fall camp. Earlier on, he graded Underwood's play an A+.
Michigan football will be formidable if Bryce Underwood holds up his end of the bargain
It will be hard to gauge how much Underwood has improved until we see him on the field, especially against a team like Oklahoma. Underwood had some stellar games last season, especially at home, so I'd expect him to play well against Western Michigan.
But if the five-star quarterback flops once again versus the Sooners, the pressure will really amp up. The Wolverines have all the talent to make the College Football Playoff. The offensive line looks like one of the best in the Big Ten, and the same can be said about the defensive line.
Michigan's running back room, at least the 1-2 punch might be the best in college football with Savion Hiter and Jordan Marshall, plus the wide receivers have been upgraded in a major way.
Beyond that, if Rod Moore is truly healthy, Michigan's secondary could be as good as any in college football. There might be five future pros starting back there. So all the pieces are there for Michigan to be formidable, as long as Underwood can hold up his end of the deal.
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