When Michigan flipped Bryce Underwood from LSU, it landed a 5-star talent who went 50-4 as a four-year starter in high school while winning two state championships. The pursuit took a call from Tom Brady and an NIL offer of $12 million. But what if Michigan made a mistake? What if Underwood didn’t turn out as great as advertised?

Bryce Underwood got leeway last year because of his true freshman status; this year, it won’t be the case. When the 6’4″ and 228 lbs QB made it to UM’s annual spring game, everyone expected a more developed player. Instead, fans saw Underwood go 3-for-9 for 22 yards. That doesn’t even include him overthrowing open receivers and throwing into traffic. And as much as Kyle Whittingham and his staff have backed their QB1, On3’s Zak Herbstreit sees things differently.

“I like them (Michigan) a lot. I just am not sold on Underwood for the amount of money they’re giving him,” Zak Herbstreit said on ON3’s May 23 podcast episode with J.D. PicKell. “I understand he’s a young player and they put a lot on his shoulders in year one. I just am not sold yet. And I think this season in general is kind of a make-or-break for him.

He does need to show potential. Needs to show promise. And a lot of these fans out there are getting mad about the spring game… I don’t think they’re (Michigan) a playoff team this year, but I think in general with Whittingham there and what he has [done] and just knowing him, his defensive mind. They will be great again. Like they’re on the rise.”

Zak Herbstreit is the son of prominent college football broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit. He joined his father’s alma mater, Ohio State, as a walk-on and saw action in three games in 2022. But heart issues derailed his career, and he took medical retirement from playing football. However, he remained with OSU during the program’s 2024 national title run as a student assistant coach. Last year, he joined ON3 as a college football analyst. Zak’s take on Underwood reflects a kind of skepticism that is beginning to creep in among the Michigan fan base.

Last season, Underwood threw for 2,428 yards and 11 touchdowns at 60.3% efficiency and rushed for 392 yards. But behind those numbers lay another dynamic. He was sacked 21 times, and the team had only 12 passing plays of more than 30 yards (111th nationally), despite the UM QB1 being advertised for his arm talent. Not just that, in Big-10 play, he threw five interceptions and struggled massively in the final two games. That often sticks with the fans.

“We found out a lot more about him, and he made some big strides this spring, his footwork, his pocket presence, his mechanics, his decision-making. He’s taken a step forward in all those areas,” head coach Kyle Whittingham said about Underwood. “He still has a ways to go, and we’ll continue that through the summer and fall camp. By the time we line up on Sept. 5 (against Western Michigan in the opener), we’ll have a really good idea of what we want to do.”

The raw nature of Underwood’s play last season was along expected lines. You can’t just throw in a high school QB to college defenses and hope that he’d have everything figured out. It also didn’t help that Sherrone Moore and his staff failed to properly help their freshman QB. Fortunately, Jason Beck may be the best thing that could have happened to Underwood at this point in his college career.

In 2025, with Beck as their OC, Utah was fourth nationally in scoring and second in rushing. QB Devon Dampier contributed 34 touchdowns (10 were rushing) while also rushing for 835 yards. The spring performance may have alarmed some fans, but it was just one quarter for an offense still developing with the new staff.

Both Bryce Underwood and Kyle Whittingham are making sure to have a great season this year

Despite some issues around Bryce Underwood’s spring scrimmage performance, there were some incredible plays, too. In a regular play, without turning back, he threw a touchdown pass behind his back, as if playing in his backyard. It landed right in Jaime Ffrench’s hands, looked natural and effortless, and showed that the UM QB1 can dissect defenses if he wants to. All he needs is maybe a little more work in this off-season, and he is doing exactly that.

“I’ve got to use the guys around me. That’s on me to find out what they do best,” Underwood told ON3. “I feel like we’re in a great space with the right mindset. I’m here for my team, no matter if it’s me running, me passing the ball, or me laying a block. Whatever they need, that’s what I’m willing to do…I’ve just touched the ground a little bit, sort of got my feet wet a little bit. I feel like that’s all anybody has seen from me.”

Apart from inexperience, the QB1 also had less help than he has now under Kyle Whittingham. Michigan was without a dedicated QB coach last year, which might have affected his development. This year, though, Whittingham has brought in Koy Detmer as QB coach. That should excite Michigan fans, despite all the perceived struggles Bryce Underwood had in the spring game.