After a freshman season that fell short of the hype, Bryce Underwood is getting a fresh start under Kyle Whittingham. For the first time in his college career, the Wolverines’ QB1 is getting special focus from the QB coach. And now the head coach is making his expectations for the sophomore quarterback crystal clear.

“Well, first of all, he (Underwood) is a mega talent, as you said. His arm strength, his athleticism, 6’4 plus, 230 pounds, the way he runs—it’s incredible, the gifts that he’s been blessed with,” said Whittingham during his Thursday appearance on the Crain & Company Podcast.

“Obviously, the first order of business is to learn the new scheme. You know, we have a new scheme going in offensively. It’s not a sharp learning curve; it’s pretty user-friendly. But he’s got to get mastery of that. Once he has a mastery of that, which he’s on the right track for right now and doing a great job.”

To develop Bryce Underwood and modernize the Wolverines’ offense, Whittingham has roped in Jason Beck, a former Utah OC who brought his “user-friendly” system to Ann Arbor. At Utes, Beck’s unit had consecutive top-five offensive rankings. To further accelerate Underwood’s growth, Whittingham has also hired QB coach Koy Detmer Jr. Reports after the 2025 season indicated that during his freshman season, Underwood didn’t have a full-time QB coach to refine his mechanics and help him adjust to playing the position at the collegiate level.

Underwood’s freshman year was a tale of two quarterbacks. He flashed brilliance, setting a Michigan freshman debut record with 251 passing yards against New Mexico and showcasing his dual-threat ability with a 114-yard, two-touchdown rushing game against Central Michigan. But the flashes were offset by struggles in high-pressure road games, where he completed just 38% of his passes in a key loss at Oklahoma and threw three costly interceptions against Texas.

“Now, it’s just refining a few things in his mechanics and making sure that he completely has a grasp of what we’re doing and what we’re expecting,” added Whittingham.

Despite the typical freshman inconsistencies, Underwood’s raw talent and flashes of leadership in workouts were enough to earn the unequivocal trust of his new head coach.

“He’s QB1 without a doubt,” said Whittingham in his first Michigan presser. “He has performed very well in the workouts, and not only with his athleticism but leadership-wise.” However, the coach didn’t stop there; he went further, comparing the Michigan QB to a former Auburn star who later built an outstanding NFL career.

Kyle Whittingham’s big comparison

The hype around Bryce Underwood just reached another level after Kyle Whittingham delivered a comparison. Entering Year 2 with the Wolverines, the former No. 1 overall recruit is already being measured against Cam Newton.

“He kind of reminds me of Cam Newton,” said Whittingham. “As far as his charisma, his stature, and his big dude, 6-4+, 240 pounds, live arm, great athlete. Flashes that smile a lot like Cam did. That’s probably the guy that comes to mind mostly. [We] haven’t had anybody that is quite of this skill set.”

Newtown’s dominant 2010 season with Auburn produced a Heisman Trophy and a national championship. While Underwood isn’t expected to replicate that overnight, the parallels are evident. The Michigan QB has a powerful frame, explosive running ability, and a live arm that can stretch defenses vertically.

After throwing for 2,428 yards as a freshman, Underwood’s next step is cutting down interceptions while unlocking his rushing impact even further. Now, with a new offensive system, if the Michigan QB develops at his best, then the Wolverines could definitely finish with a record better than 9–4 this season.