The hype train has fully left the station when it comes to Michigan football and Bryce Underwood.
The former No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class and five-star quarterback is expected to be named the starter after getting most all of the reps with the ones in spring ball after transfer Mikey Keene couldn’t go with an injury. Though fan and media expectations are high, what do analysts who go deeper believe?
Last week, PFF’s Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman previewed every Big Ten team on their college football podcast and Wasserman, in particular, waxed poetic about what Underwood brings to the table.
“You’re looking at a guy who is really built like if you were gonna build a quarterback in a lab, this is would want,” Wasserman said. “Listed 6-4, 208, but recently said in an interview that Michigan has him up to 230 pounds — which is just ridiculous to have a freshman quarterback at 6-4 and 230. He says he feels like he’s getting even more explosive as an athlete, and the arm talent is apparent. He’s got a cannon for an arm, and there’s not a whole lot of windup to it. It’s a quick, compact delivery that can rifle passes downfield.
“I thought he looked composed in the spring game, especially the quick game on the more efficient throws closer to the line of scrimmage and working the chains. I think that’s gonna be a big thing for him. We saw that from a guy like DJ Lagway last year, trying to hit a lot of home runs but then a little inefficient underneath. I think Underwood can be efficient on those underneath throws. The supporting cast is the big question. There were some nerves in the spring game a little bit, when he threw the ball downfield, there were some passes that sailed high. Still working on the downfield accuracy. He needs his receivers to separate a little bit better.
“But, honestly, when you’re working with how he’s built and what he has shown so far, you can see why he was the No. 1 recruit in the country. The arm — it’s easy — easy arm talent, in the same way that we’ve talked about DJ Lagway over the past year, the ball just explodes out of his hand. He can make any throw on the field.”
Of course, they still have some concerns at wide receiver and along the offensive line, but given the state of the passing game overall last year, anything that Underwood provides, even as a first-year player, will likely be a big improvement.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: PFF’s Wasserman praises Michigan QB Bryce Underwood’s elite arm, build for 2025 season
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
