Bryce Underwood’s true freshman season was defined by his massive $10.5 million NIL valuation and a heavy reliance on his legs. But as Michigan gears up for its spring game, head coach Kyle Whittingham is drawing a hard line. He wants his quarterback to throw and not run for his life.

“Tremendous athlete, he’s got as high a ceiling as anyone I’ve been around, absolute tremendous arm strength, can extend the play, he’s an athlete, he can run the ball, and we’re planning on running him this fall.” Michigan’s head coach, Kyle Whittingham, said on the Big Ten Network. “Now we’re not going to run him excessively because that’s not sustainable, but he’ll have his place in the run game.”

Underwood scrambled for 392 yards and six touchdowns last year, often using his athleticism to mask passing inconsistencies. While he’s a dynamic runner, taking off too often exposes him to unnecessary hits. Whittingham knows relying on a quarterback’s legs to bail out the offense is a quick way to derail a season.

Regardless, Kyle Whittingham has been praising Underwood since the start of spring. He has been impressed with Underwood’s size, athleticism, speed, strength, and arm talent since the start. Whittingham even compared his physical build and strength to NFL MVP Cam Newton, describing him as a quarterback with a powerful arm. Now, he did show flashes of inconsistency, but the team understood the gap and brought in a dedicated QB coach, Koy Detmer Jr.

Apart from that, his rushing skills also added to his skills. Last year, he recorded 392 rushing yards with 6 touchdowns. But Kyle Whittingham’s decision not to use him more on rushing makes sense, as if he runs too much, he won’t improve his passing and decision-making ability, which was a major concern for him last year. Plus, his chances of getting injured also increase.

It’s not like they won’t use his rushing skills this season, but with caution, as Kyle Whittingham explains their approach.

“If guys aren’t good runners, then they can get themselves hurt,” Whittingham said. “But if guys are good runners, they’re comfortable doing that. And they excel at it. And you have success…But it does seem to be part of Bryce’s skill set, like doing some of the QB run game. And when he pulls it down and goes, it looks pretty impressive.”

Underwood is already getting better under Kyle Whittingham, and it shows why the coach trusts him a lot. During spring practice, he made a play that surprised everyone. He got the ball, looked around for a pass, and then decided to run. When defenders came close to stopping him, he quickly made a behind-the-back pass, which led to a touchdown.

This play impressed fans because it showed he can think fast, move well, and stay confident under pressure. His teammate, Jaime Ffrench, caught the ball easily and finished the play. The move also helped him avoid two defenders, which made the moment even more exciting. So, it’s pretty clear why Kyle Whittingham is showing immense trust in Bryce Underwood.

But with praise, Kyle Whittingham also made sure he tackled issues that created problems for him last season.

Kyle Whittingham is fixing Bryce Underwood’s last year’s issues

Last year, Michigan had a big problem at the wide receiver position. The players who catch passes were not strong enough, and it hurt the team’s offense. Going into 2025, it is still not clear if this problem is fully fixed. The team only added two new wide receivers through transfers like Anthony Simpson and Donaven McCulley.

Instead of adding many players, the team is hoping these few new players can make a big impact. This means they are focusing on quality over quantity. Among them, Donaven McCulley has stood out the most during spring practice. He impressed Kyle Whittingham and looks like the best option to become the main target for Bryce Underwood.

Last year, Bryce Underwood was sacked 20 times, and to make sure the offensive line doesn’t fail to protect him this year, Whittingham got Jim Harding from Utah to coach the offensive line. He also added assistant O-line coach Mike Lynch. The returning players, such as Andrew Sprague, Blake Frazier, Evan Link, and Jake Guarnera, also add depth. With all the momentum, it remains to be seen if Bryce Underwood can make an impact this season.