Praise for Bryce Underwood is high, expectations are higher

The expectations were always going to be high for Bryce Underwood at Michigan. 

He came in as a five-star quarterback and ranked as the consensus No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class. Quarterbacks like that just don’t grow on trees, and Michigan hasn’t had a star quarterback recruit like Underwood walk through the doors in a long time.

Even J.J. McCarthy, a five-star, was ranked as the No. 5 quarterback in his class and the No. 25 recruit overall.

Underwood is a big deal as an incoming freshman for the Wolverines, and according to On3 Michigan insider Chris Balas, the young quarterback is already delivering and more.

“Bryce Underwood, from practice one to practice 15, and what he brings to the table in terms of physical skills, is like nothing anybody’s ever seen here before,” Balas said on the “Andy and Ari On3” show. 

Balas compared Underwood to some of the great quarterbacks in Michigan’s historic past, and he suggested that none came into Ann Arbor the same way Underwood has.

“We’ve seen Drew Henson here as a true freshman, Chad Henne started here as a true freshman. People have been here for 35, 40 years, say he [Underwood] is by far the best freshman quarterback, true freshman that they’ve seen here,” Balas said.

Balas is placing massive expectations on Underwood, but there also seems to be a belief that the young quarterback can live up to those expectations.

He’s lucky that he also has a strong offensive mind calling the shots alongside of him in head coach Sherrone Moore, who was the offensive coordinator under Jim Harbaugh when the Wolverines won the College Football Playoff.

The setup is there for Underwood to be successful as a freshman. He’ll, of course, have to prove it when the hits are for real, and he’ll also have to win the starting job outright.

Keep in mind, the talent could be there, but Michigan may choose to insulate Underwood as a freshman. The Wolverines did bring in Fresno State grad transfer quarterback Mikey Keene to compete for the starting role. Former four-star 2024 quarterback Jadyn Davis is also on the roster.

Keene is still recovering from an upper-body injury, though, and ultimately, Balas is hearing that Michigan brought Underwood in (and paid him handsomely) to play. More than likely, he’ll be the starter on Aug. 30 against New Mexico, even as a true freshman.

“I do think that Underwood will be the guy,” Balas said. “I think that Mikey Keene will be pushing him. Jadyn Davis is a distant third. When I asked somebody specifically? I said, ‘Alright, off the record, who’s your quarterback this year?’ And then he said follow the money, and that means Bryce Underwood.”