Kyle Whittingham’s first spring in Ann Arbor is over, but the real work on quarterback Bryce Underwood is just beginning. According to alum Jake Butt, the new staff is implementing specific drills to address the very issues that plagued the young QB last season, starting with pressure in the pocket.

In his true freshman year at Ann Arbor, Underwood showed glimpses of his potential. However, there were also issues that one would expect from a raw product. It also didn’t help him that Sherrone Moore didn’t deploy a QB coach to oversee his development. All that has changed under Kyle Whittingham.

Still, Michigan fans were not pleased with what they saw from the QB1 in the spring game. In limited action, Underwood completed just three of his nine passes for 22 yards. However, Butt is not worried.

“We all identified the problems with Bryce last year,” Butt began. “The footwork—he looked young. Some of that, hey, he’s a young guy, it was a young offensive line, all that. Everyone could see it, but then the real challenge is how to implement a system to improve upon it and track progress. What I get from this staff is, of course, they identified it, but then they’re putting in drills to work on the weak points.”

“They’re like, ‘Look, we knew Bryce struggled, especially under pressure in the pocket.’ They said during Skelly this year—7-on-7—they have the managers simulating a leaky pocket, a pressure off the edge, a D-line twist, and there’s a man in your face… Normally in Skelly, you’re just taking your drop and going through it, but let’s not give Bryce the easy way out. We know he can complete passes when everything’s perfect. Let’s add some of that into Skelly.’ They’ve also done it in Team Pass. They’re not worried about him on first and second down, play-action, or all that stuff. But, to me, I don’t think we had that last year.”

The good news for Michigan fans is that the coaching staff knows what needs to be fixed in Underwood’s case. That is already more than what Sherrone Moore’s staff was doing with Underwood last year. They didn’t know how to utilize his best attributes while protecting him from making egregious errors. Whittingham has specifically addressed what he needs from his QB1. And none of that is typical manager’s speak.

“He progressed all through spring,” said Whittingham. “Some things that may not be noticeable to just the general populous. His footwork, his pocket presence … he’s improved in all areas. Now, he still has work to do. He knows that we know that. But I think he’s ahead of where he was, certainly, from last season. We think he’s got big upside and still have a lot of confidence in him. There’s no different sentiment than what we had when we first got here.”

We’re still months away from the start of the 2026 campaign. That means the staff has more time to put into Underwood’s growth. And over the last month, the QB1 has shown he’s willing to put in the hours needed to reach his ceiling.

Michigan got a star in the spring game

Freshman Tommy Carr has been the talk of the town since the spring game. The QB completed 21 out of 30 passes for 141 passing yards. He combined that with 59 rushing yards to raise his profile as a back-up to Bryce Underwood. The head coach was particularly impressed with Carr.

“Tommy has really made strides and just really has a great pocket presence and capability. He can extend plays, keep his eyes downfield, said Whittingham. All the things that you look for in a big-time quarterback, I believe Tommy possesses.”

“He’s got that it factor for a quarterback. That confidence, that field general mentality. The way he carries himself. He’s a football junkie. I’m in the facility at 10 at night, and I walk by the quarterback room, and there’s Tommy Carr watching film all by himself in the film room. He is completely just immersed in his development, as far as trying to get better and doing everything he can to perfect his craft. And that’s really what you want to see in a quarterback. And he’s a leader by nature and by position.”