Bryce Underwood’s talent as a quarterback earned him his high status in the recruiting process, but early on at Michigan, his maturity and work ethic have been making an impression on his coaches and teammates:
Towards the end of the 2024 season with its offense reeling and no bright quarterback situation for the future, Michigan and Sherrone Moore knew they needed to make a splash. Then, about a month before the early signing period, Michigan made the biggest splash of the 2025 recruiting cycle by landing a commitment from Bryce Underwood.
He played his high school ball right in Michigan’s backyard in Belleville and had been committed to LSU for almost a year at that point. The flip brought so much excitement to the fanbase not just because of how unexpected it was, but because of the talent he brings to the position.
Now, with a little more than a month until the season begins, Underwood appears to be the favorite to land the starting quarterback gig, a rare feat for a true freshman. The talent he possesses is a big reason for that, but those around the program have been impressed with the other aspects of his game that don’t always show up in a box score.
“Bryce is as good as advertised. The thing that I’m most impressed with about Bryce is his maturity,” linebacker Ernest Hausmann said when asked about Underwood at Big Ten Media Days. “When you look at him, he doesn’t look like an average 17-year-old or an average freshman.”
Hausmann wasn’t the only member of Michigan’s defense that was impressed by what he’s seen from Underwood so far, as edge rusher Derrick Moore also had some glowing things to say. Moore mentioned that Underwood is always, “just trying to find a way to get better.” Moore also said Underwood is routinely one of the first players in and last ones out of the facility when it comes to doing extra work.
“(Underwood)’s out there 20-30 minutes before (practices) by himself going over the script,” Moore said.
The praise from both Hausmann and Moore speaks volumes, considering how long both have been in the program.
The players though weren’t the only ones to be impressed with what they’ve been seeing from Underwood so far. Head coach Sherrone Moore was also asked about Underwood during his press conference on Thursday and added some praise of his own.
“I think he’s grown every single day since he’s been on campus,” Moore said. “He does everything the right way, he makes sure he attacks everything the best way.”
It’s encouraging that members of the team and coaching staff have gotten a good impression of Underwood so far. Even though he hasn’t appeared in a college game yet, it should be comforting for fans that those around him been impressed by what they’ve seen.
Underwood will have his work cut out for him this year as he not only faces the challenge of adjusting to the college game, but because he will also attempt to quickly turn Michigan’s passing game around. The pass attack was among the worst in the nation last year, and he’ll look to do his part in making sure the offense is able to move the ball through the air.
Sherrone Moore was also asked about the wide receiver group heading into the season — an interesting topic of discussion considering how the pass-catchers struggled in 2024. He seemed pleased with how things are progressing so far.
“We feel really good about (the wide receiver) room and continuing to make sure that we take the standard to the next level,” Moore said.
The “standard” he was referring to was in reference to guys like Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson who were mainstays at the position from 2021-23.
If the receiver group is able to get back to the level the program wants it to be at while Underwood continues to do his part, it could mean the team’s passing attack gets itself back on the right track in 2025.