Ann Arbor — Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham gave sophomore starting quarterback Bryce Underwood a high grade when asked on the Big Ten Network about his growth during preseason camp.
BTN annually tours each Big Ten school during camp and made its stop at Michigan on Wednesday to observe the Wolverines’ sixth practice as they prepare for the season. The one-hour show featured several interviews, including with Whittingham, who took the Michigan job in late December after spending the last 21 seasons as Utah head coach.
“He’s coming along well,” Whittingham said of Underwood during the BTN segment. “He’s had a great first six days. He’s much further ahead than he was at the end of spring. He obviously worked hard this summer and did a lot of positive things getting himself ready in the film room, on the field and so far through six practices. I’d grade him an A-plus.”
Offensive coordinator Jason Beck also told BTN he’s been impressed with Underwood’s work ethic.
“He shows up every day, he works hard, he really picks things up quick,” Beck said. “He has great confidence and voice. But there’s obviously a lot of things he’s working on to improve. And when we emphasize things, he responds really quick. He learns fast, makes improvements fast.
“Now, the things that you want to work on that are kind of habits, like you do without thinking, those are the things that are really hard to change. Like footwork in the pocket, just kind of have a natural footwork that you feel comfortable using, and so we spent the spring kind of figuring out what he naturally does, and then this summer and coming into fall camp, we targeted, OK, here’s what we really need to focus on and improve.
“But those are really hard changes you’re trying to make because as a quarterback, you’re just trying to read the defense and make the right plays, and you’re not thinking about necessarily your feet. So to ingrain that, build that habit, and make that just part of his muscle memory and what he does is part of what we’re focusing on now and this past summer.”
Here are some other highlights from the BTN stop at Michigan: Underwood and receiver Andrew Marsh on the UM offense under Beck: “I feel like, overall, it’s more fulfilling for our team,” Underwood said. “I feel like we’re using all of our talent that we have on the offensive side, and I feel like we have all best 11 players on the field the whole time.” Said Marsh: “I think it’s explosive and it’s creative and it’s really, I would say, receiver friendly.”
Defensive coordinator Jay Hill on what he has stood out about Big Ten offenses: “Physicality. There’s a lot of big offensive linemen, a lot of great running backs in the Big Ten Conference. Good quarterbacks. I think the schemes are very sound. They don’t hurt themselves, so you’re gonna have to go out there and take it. I would say it’s not quite as spread out as the Big 12. Maybe not quite as much throw game and up-tempo and stuff like that. But the good thing is you do see variety in the offensive. I think the biggest thing to me would be just be the overall physicality and commitment to the run.”
Whittingham on the identity of this team: “Continue with the physicality and the mentality that you know we’re going to be a tough, gritty football team. Stop the run. Be able to run the ball. Mental toughness. Be able to handle whatever comes our way in practice. If it’s conditioning after practice, whatever the case may be, you’ve got to be able to handle it.”
Safety Rod Moore, returning from several surgeries to his left knee, on whether he has any mental or physical limitations with regard to getting back on the field: “There are maybe a little bit of mental limitations as far as trusting my leg because you baby it so long when you have an injury, it takes a little while to start trusting it again. And I say that’s just the main thing that I have to get over. The little last little hump I have to get over is being mentally strong and trusting my body that I’m here and I’m fully ready to go and let it all loose.”
Edge rusher John Henry Daley, sitting beside Moore, was asked about having a personal chef: “He comes around to cook every once in a while,” Daley said, laughing. Moore was stunned. “You have a chef?” he asked his teammate.
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Kyle Whittingham gives Bryce Underwood an ‘A-plus’ after six practices
Reporting by Angelique S. Chengelis, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Angelique S. Chengelis, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
