Before he has even taken a snap at the collegiate level, Michigan’s Bryce Underwood ranks higher than you may expect on 247Sports’ post-spring Big Ten QB rankings:
A lot has already been said and written about Michigan Wolverines freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, with the consensus opinion among local and national media members and college football fans being that he is too talented to keep off the field as a first-year player. Some are even saying — myself included — he will very likely win the starting job during fall camp.
247Sports seems to agree that Underwood has the inside track to be the Week 1 starter. The national media outlet recently released their post-spring list of the top Big Ten quarterbacks , and before he has even taken a collegiate snap, Underwood ranks right in the middle of the conference at No. 8 overall.
Here is what they had to say about Underwood:
The top-rated player in the 2025 recruiting cycle, Underwood arrives in Ann Arbor with extremely high expectations. He’s been around since bowl practice last season and has received rave reviews from teammates and Michigan’s coaching staff. If Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene hadn’t missed spring practice with an injury, perhaps new Wolverines offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey would feel more comfortable going with a veteran in the opener as opposed to a wet-behind-the-ears true freshman.
That last sentence is carrying a ton of weight for the opinion that Underwood will likely be the starting quarterback. Keene transferred over from Fresno State to provide Underwood with a legitimate, meaningful competition. But Keene being sidelined provided Underwood with even more reps and experience this spring alongside redshirt freshman Jadyn Davis, the only other healthy quarterback at the moment.
It was clear in the spring game Underwood has higher upside than Davis — he made tight window passes and also made plays with his legs when protection broke down. Everyone will talk about the 88-yard touchdown to end the game, but that was far from his most impressive play of the game. There were several dropped passes from his wideouts that were better throws and provided more of a “wow” reaction than the trick play touchdown.
With it being unknown at this point when exactly Keene will be healthy enough to practice, Underwood should feel very good about his chances of being the Week 1 starter against New Mexico at the Big House.
In case you’re curious, 247Sports ranked Penn State’s Drew Allar at No. 1 overall in the Big Ten, followed by Illinois’ Luke Altmyer, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Oregon’s Dante Moore, and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza to round out the top-five.
How do you feel about this ranking? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know down in the comments below.