Former NFL safety Eric Weddle stirred up a ton of drama when he went on the Zero 2 Sixty podcast and revealed that he visited nine colleges this spring, and Michigan Wolverines QB Bryce Underwood’s stop was easily the worst one he experienced. Weddle openly stated that Underwood “can’t throw” the football and doubled down, stating it’s up to him to “prove me wrong.” Although Underwood reacted to it with a Joker meme on social media back then, when asked about Weddle’s criticism, the Wolverines’ QB1 had very few words to say about it.

“The game’s on September 5, I don’t let that speak,” Bryce Underwood told Détroit Free Press.

Instead of going back and forth with the former safety on Twitter, Bryce decided to let his football do the talking when the 2026 season starts for them. The Wolverines are scheduled to play Western Michigan at home on September 5.

A 250-yard, 2-TD outing against Western Michigan proves little. The real test arrives in Week 2. The real trouble in paradise begins in Week 2, when Brent Venables’ Oklahoma Sooners come down to Ann Arbor. The last time Michigan faced the Sooners, they literally had the nation’s No. 1 QB looking like a JUCO reserve. Brent Venables’ defense held Underwood to 142 yards and allowed him to complete only 38% of his passes (9 of 24) with zero touchdowns.

That performance sparked criticism of Underwood’s freshman campaign. He ended his freshman campaign with 2,428 passing yards, 392 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. Luckily, it’s not the same Michigan team anymore. Long gone is Sherrone Moore’s era. The Wolverines brought in a coach who has two decades of experience, achieving more with fewer resources in Kyle Whittingham.

Bryce Underwood didn’t mince words when asked what the difference was between last season’s coaching and this season’s coaching.

“I feel like we’re getting prepared more. We’re more of a player-led team than we were last year, very player-driven,” Underwood said.

Last season, the Wolverines were in shambles. Their 9-4 finish under Moore felt like a collapse. Nobody on the team was leading in anything. Right now, bookies view them as a solid second-tier contender, placing them a bit behind top-tier favorites like Ohio State, who lead the pack at +600. Beyond the national title hunt, Michigan’s odds to win the Big Ten championship sit at +1000. They trail rivals like Ohio State, Indiana, and Oregon in that market.

Whittingham met with Underwood for 45 minutes, then paired him with QB coach Koy Detmer Jr. to clean up his footwork and throwing mechanics. Underwood pretty much spent most of the offseason with first-year OC Jason Beck to understand the playbook and motion concepts. After all, the offense will be designed and run around his strengths and weaknesses.

Even though he did not get many reps in this year’s annual Maize & Blue spring game, according to Whittingham’s post-spring evaluations, these adjustments have already made Underwood noticeably more advanced mentally and physically compared to last season.

Week 2 will tell whether Bryce Underwood has actually gotten over his “raw-talent” era and can help lead the Wolverines to their first playoff appearance since their 2024 national title season. If he fails to do so, the Wolverines have Tommy Carr waiting for reps on the bench patiently.

What’s the best Michigan can get out of Bryce?

Bryce Underwood confidently replied, “It’s winning,” when a reporter asked what his goal was for 2026. Let’s see whether they are capable of making a postseason appearance. The Michigan Wolverines football team is sitting at +2500 odds to win the national championship this season.

Right now, bookies view them as a solid second-tier contender, placing them a bit behind top-tier favorites like Ohio State, who lead the pack at +600. Beyond the national title hunt, Michigan’s odds to win the Big Ten championship sit at +1000. They trail rivals like Ohio State, Indiana, and Oregon in that market.

Most major projections have Michigan pegged as an 8.5-win team for the upcoming season. Considering the number of returners from last season, which is around 7-9 starters depending on how you count them, and knowing they have to play Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana on the road from October onward, the popular consensus is a slightly tougher 8-4 finish, or 9-3 with a bowl-game win, hopefully.