Michigan entered the season with enormous expectations surrounding its young quarterback, but things haven’t exactly gone according to plan in Ann Arbor. What once looked like a promising talent has become a source of disappointment, forcing the coaching staff to rethink its approach. While the spotlight has largely remained on Bryce Underwood as he tries to find his footing after being benched, QB coach Koy Detmer Jr. has also accepted responsibility.
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“First, I’ve just really been proud of Bryce and how he’s handled the situation,” Detmer Jr. said when Michigan insider Alejandro Zúñiga asked him what didn’t click for Bryce Underwood this year. “There are very few and not a lot of people that can say, ‘Hey man, I understand how you’re feeling,’ because that’s a really tough situation that he’s been in, but he’s handled it exceptionally. Being a captain and being a leader on our team, he’s been not only a vocal presence but also in our quarterback room, another set of eyes, and a guy that’s played a lot of football to be able to be there for Tommy that way.”
“I feel and wish I could’ve done more. I just feel like I didn’t get Bryce there—and I’m not sure exactly why or how. It didn’t quite click to where we would have wanted it to, but he’s an exceptional talent and great young man. Right now, in the position that he is, just being one snap away, working hard to be ready, as well as just continuing to develop him to help him grow in his game.”
Underwood was benched at halftime when Michigan was struggling to get anything going against Penn State. QB2 Tommy Carr stepped in and led the Wolverines to multiple scoring drives. Michigan won the game; Carr’s performance meant that Underwood’s starting position was fully under threat.
Heading into the Indiana matchup, Kyle Whittingham didn’t reveal his starting QB, but no one was surprised when Carr was the signal-caller. While the Wolverines couldn’t get past Indiana, there was plenty in Carr’s game to make the coaching staff stick with him. And that’s what they did.
Against Rutgers, Carr completed 22 of his 27 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown, an efficient performance that we didn’t see from Underwood all season long. However, Underwood didn’t sulk after being benched, which has been really appreciated by both Whittingham and Detmer Jr.
The QB continues to support his teammates and remain involved in the team’s preparation. During the Indiana game, even though he wasn’t the starting QB, he still served as the team’s captain during the coin toss. Underwood was seen leading this huddle and has even been helping Carr to battle the pressure. After they lost to Indiana 13-6 in OT, Carr mentioned Underwood for being there by his side.
“Bryce, all game was right at my side, you know?” Carr said to reporters after the game. “Helping me along the way. Watching film with me. Just picking me up when I made a bad play. And hyping me up when I made a good play. So he was helpful all game, and I was grateful for that.”
However, for Michigan fans, Underwood is not your regular sophomore QB. He is the guy the program invested heavily in to flip from LSU. While his attitude post-benching is praiseworthy, we’re still not getting clarity on what’s not working for Underwood in Jason Beck’s system.
This is the same QB that Beck and Whittingham were heaping praise on heading into the 2026 campaign. Where did it all go wrong? How much is it on Underwood? Can we point out issues in Beck’s scheme?