Michigan’s ROI for Bryce Underwood was not satisfactory after dishing out $12 million. Then Sherrone Moore, the Michigan head coach who played a big part in the quarterback’s recruiting, was fired. But did he ever think of leaving Ann Arbor and starting afresh?

“Overall, I was going to stay home no matter what,” Underwood said in his latest presser, about his decision to stay in Michigan after meeting the new head coach. 

When Kyle Whittingham took up the job in Ann Arbor, keeping Underwood on his roster was his primary goal. So, immediately after his introduction, the new head coach met the quarterback and spent 45 minutes with him. 

“Carries himself the right way. Quarterback has to have the “it” factor, and Bryce has the “it” factor, along with a ton of talent,” said the head coach after the December meeting. “His ceiling is very high, and the offense we’re going to bring in here is going to suit him.” 

Just a few days later, the transfer portal winter window opened, and fans expected Underwood to be the first domino to fall. But he chose to return to Ann Arbor for yet another season. Maybe he wanted to give himself a chance under the new head coach, who led Utah for 21 long seasons.

The bar was very high for Underwood last year, as he arrived as the nation’s No. 1 recruit. So, Moore gave him the spotlight and made him start every game in 2025. The result? 2,428 yards for 11 touchdowns and a 60.3% completion rate. Mid-to-late season, things got shaky, as his footwork fell apart and the decision-making went rogue.

At the same time, his performance got stunted as well. Underwood’s predecessor, J.J. McCarthy, who enjoyed contact and running the ball, was limited by Sherrone Moore. 

“J.J. wanted to run every game,” said the then-head coach. “I was like, ‘No, you’re going to get hit. You’re going to get hurt.’”

Since Moore brought in Underwood, he has been more protective of the quarterback. Even though his arms made him the No. 1 player in his recruiting, being 6 feet 4 inches tall, he is blessed with size and athleticism to attack a defense with his legs. Yet Moore and the Wolverines got protective of him.

“He can throw it really, really good. Is he athletic?” the then-defensive line coach Lou Esposito said. “Yeah, he’s athletic. But that’s not the plan for those guys. They’re going to throw (with) him because his arm is generational.”

As a result, he was limited to running. Even then, he came up with 88 carries for 392 yards and six scores. That’s decent, isn’t it? Whittingham’s staff already plans to break the shackles and explore Underwood’s talents. All this leads to one of the quarterback’s teammates setting high expectations.

Bryce Underwood’s teammate shares a big dream for the quarterback

In the latest presser, offensive coordinator Jason Beck let the cat out of the bag by revealing plans to use Underwood more as a runner compared to last season.

“[Let them] do what they do best,” said Michigan offensive coordinator. “And so if they can run, then it’s a weapon, and they’ll be fine.”

After all, during Biff Poggi’s interim tenure, Underwood did show his potential as a runner. Trusting Whittingham’s plan for the quarterback, Michigan junior running back Jordan Marshall is confident about Underwood spreading his wings in the new offense.

“He’s going to be better,” he said. “I’m still going to say he’s going to win the Heisman someday. He’s getting coached hard, and they’re demanding the best out of him.”

As Underwood climbs that learning curve, the real lesson goes beyond Xs and Os. It’s about balance, owning the leadership role while letting go of the urge to do it all. Because the next version of Underwood isn’t a one-man show. It’s a quarterback who knows how to lift the whole unit without putting the entire load on his shoulders.

Lifting the bronze beauty is every college football player’s dream. But for Bryce Underwood, it will depend on how Kyle Whittingham’s experiment on him goes.