Why did 2025 No. 1 overall Bryce Underwood stall at Michigan in his freshman season? The 5-star recruit was expected to be the long-term answer, but he hit a wall as his freshman season progressed. Turns out he didn’t have proper coaching, as head coach Kyle Whittingham pointed out. So, this offseason, the Wolverines’ QB is getting more than most QBs in training. 

A recent Instagram story from noted QB developer Jordan Palmer signaled a new partnership. Palmer posted a photo of the two in a field to his Instagram story with the caption, “To new beginnings,” a quiet signal that Michigan’s young QB is seeking outside structure after a rocky finish.

Palmer is well-known in NFL circles as the private coach who has helped shape the careers of QBs like the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen. As the founder of the QB Summit, he worked with Mahomes beginning in May 2016 in Dana Point, California. The coaching helped refine his mechanics and footwork before his junior season at Texas Tech and later during his transition to the NFL.

Josh Allen also had him as his offseason QB coach dating back to the buildup to the 2018 NFL Draft, a relationship they continued to maintain. Other QBs Jordan Palmer coached and developed include Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, and Sam Darnold. Bryce Underwood missed out on working with Palmer last season, as Kyle Whittingham spelled out the underlying issue bluntly in a conversation with Urban Meyer. 

“There was no dedicated quarterback coach working with him on a daily basis, which has to happen,” the new Michigan head coach said. “You’ve got a young man, 17 years old. He didn’t turn 18 until like midseason. And so he’s a guy that really could’ve been in high school last year as far as his age. But there’s some things in throwing mechanics and just things to smooth out his fundamentals and technique.”

Bryce Underwood’s late-season production will tell you why this premium training is necessary. Over Michigan’s final six games, he threw four TD passes against seven interceptions. He arrived with massive expectations, 5-star status, and high NIL backing. But he was sacked 20 times over the season, often holding the ball while trying to create something non-existent. 

Michigan’s current staff has moved quickly to close that developmental gap internally. OC Jason Beck and QBs coach Koy Detmer are already working closely with Bryce Underwood, according to Kyle Whittingham, building daily habits that didn’t consistently exist last fall.

“We’ve already got a good start on that,” he said. “Jason Beck and Koy Detmer are outstanding quarterback developers. So we’re already going down that path.”

That internal work, paired with Jordan Palmer’s offseason involvement, gives Bryce Underwood the ultimate training to mold into the likes of an NFL Super Bowl MVP like Mahomes or an NFL MVP like Allen. Also, Kyle Whittingham has already brought his Utah mechanics to Ann Arbor. Change is underway. 

Bryce Underwood is part of Kyle Whittingham’s leadership selection

As spring practice approaches, Michigan is also reshaping how leadership flows inside the program. Kyle Whittingham’s Utah-style approach puts leadership selection directly in the players’ hands. So this spring, the Wolverines announced four captains: Bryce Underwood and RB Jordan Marshall on offense, and DL Trey Pierce and safety Rod Moore on defense.

Michigan also formed an 11-player Leadership Council designed to create accountability across position groups. Bryce Underwood being voted into that mix matters. It tells you how the locker room views him. Kyle Whittingham isn’t backing off his belief in the QB either, even after the inconsistency. 

“You talk about a ton of upside,” he said. “Bryce Underwood’s got it all. He’s 6’4 and 225-plus and has a cannon arm. So he’s the whole package. We’ve just got to get him refined.”

And right now, he’s being refined by Jordan Palmer. Bryce Underwood finished his freshman season completing 60.3 percent of his passes for 2,428 yards, 11 TDs, and nine interceptions. He added 392 rushing yards and six scores on the ground. 

Michigan asked a teenager to figure it out in real time last year. Now they’re fixing that. The Palmer partnership won’t guarantee anything. But it explains the plan and belief Kyle Whittingham has for Bryce Underwood in 2026.