CBS Reporter Reveals Bryce Underwood’s Possible NFL Plans as Chip Lindsey Justifies QB1 Decision

What the rest of the Big Ten feared and the Michigan Wolverines spent $10 million to secure is now a reality. Sources within Ann Arbor have confirmed that Bryce Underwood, the five-star freshman and No. 1-ranked recruit in the country, will be the starter. Was this decided weeks ago? Are there any ulterior motives at play? This CBS reporter still calls Bryce a future “experiment.”

On The Cover 3 podcast, the CBS analyst openly speculated about Michigan’s reasoning, hinting that the Wolverines may be taking the long view with a player who might not stick around more than three seasons. “If Michigan doesn’t win the Big 10 or get to the playoff this year, I don’t think it’ll be looked at as a disaster,” he said. “Like, obviously that’s what their goal is. But I think that they’re figuring they could buy a season with Underwood gaining experience because if he’s as good as he is, he’s not going to be there longer than three years anyway. So why have him sit on the sidelines for one of the three years you’re going to have him?” That perspective reframes the decision—it’s not only about 2025, it’s about setting the stage for 2026 and 2027.

The CBS analyst continued to lay out the logic. “Let him get that experience so that way next year maybe when you feel like you’re better positioned to truly compete for, you know, Big 10 titles and playoff titles again, he’s got that kind of those reps under his belt. So, it’ll be interesting to see. And yeah, if he’s the dude he has the potential to be right away, they’re going to be very good. And if he’s not, well, then it’ll probably be somewhat similar to last year.” It was less a scorching hot take than an acknowledgment of Michigan’s calculus: the Wolverines are gambling that giving the keys to the Ferrari early will pay off once the road smooths out.

This wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment August panic call. The battle was effectively wrapped up weeks ago. Head coach Sherrone Moore revealed Monday that it was during UM’s first scrimmage inside the Big House when the decision crystallized. “He made a couple throws and I looked to Chip (Lindsey) and he nodded to me and coach (Biff) Poggi, who was behind me,” Moore said. “I think this is the guy.” That admission shows how quickly Bryce Underwood separated himself when live bullets started flying. It also shows the quiet alignment of a staff that knows its margin for error in Year 1 post-Harbaugh is razor-thin.

Moore doubled down when addressing the opener against New Mexico on Saturday night. “He’s earned the opportunity; it was not given to him,” he said. “All the other quarterbacks had a really good camp as well.” That nod toward competition matters—because on paper, this was no cakewalk. Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene was supposed to be the bridge, but his spring injury slowed the transition. And Davis Warren, the veteran who started much of 2024, is still rehabbing an ACL. Injuries tilted the board, sure, but Underwood still had to seize it. And he did. He’ll be just the fourth true freshman in U-Mich history to start—a list that speaks to both risk and reward.

For his part, Underwood has never hidden from the spotlight. Since stepping on campus, he’s spoken in terms of legacy. On Rich Eisen’s show, he talked about winning two Heisman trophies and a national title. On the Big Ten Network, he vowed to “shock the world” and proclaimed, “nobody’s seen a freshman like me.” Those are not the words of a cautious teenager—they’re the declarations of a player embracing the crown before he’s even taken a snap.

Chip Lindsey explains why Bryce Underwood

On the Inside Michigan Football radio show, OC Chip Lindsey peeled back the curtain a bit on why Bryce Underwood is already penciled in as QB1. Lindsey acknowledged the freshman hasn’t been flawless, but he’s already learning the game in ways that separate him from the typical first-year signal-caller.

“I think his playmaking ability — obviously he can make all the throws and so forth, but he did a nice job of protecting the ball for the most part,” Lindsey said. “I mean, there’s some times Wink fooled him, which is going to happen when you’re playing. But that’s good for him. I mean, it really builds a — I believe quarterback play, you build a bank in their mind or whatever that, ‘Hey, I remember seeing that look before.’”

That, right there, is the key. Lindsey is talking about the catalog that great quarterbacks store away over time. The more coverages and disguises Underwood sees, the quicker he can process and react. “Each play has got a life of its own,” Lindsey added. “And the more reps he gets and the more reps he sees, the different looks versus all the different things that we’re running, I think that just provides — that’s why you see veteran guys really take off, whether it’s the NFL or college.”

Lindsey then underlined how far along Underwood already was upon arriving. “And then you get a guy like this who was really advanced when he got here. I thought he was, his knowledge of the game was — I think he had good high school coaching and, these quarterbacks these days are so much more advanced than when we played, you know? And he’s a student of the game.” Freshman or not, Underwood is already showing the mental side that usually only develops with years of reps.