The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1497536
MAY 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 39 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING Yes, Underwood has already won two state titles and earned a five-star rank- ing. No, there isn't much else he has to prove. But no quarterback is perfect. Un- derwood knows that. So does Dooley. When the two team up in the lab, they always nitpick and strive to find even the most minor imperfections. "Bryce can sometimes get in his own way in terms of believing he's Super- man," Dooley said. "He believes he can win with every throw. That's the com- petitor in him. "Bryce had a 68 percent completion percentage, which is good. He doesn't turn over the football. But Bryce needs to win with process. "Kyle Short is my right hand man, and we work 2-3 days a week — from the cerebral acumen component to not overstriding to base and balance and just being very intentional with his body of work. "Bryce always tells people, 'If I let a pit bull go, I don't have to tell you how to get away from that pit. You're going to move.' "That's what the pocket is. It's going to change, so we're working on timing throws, getting the ball out of his hand and having a variety of pitches. Bryce is a passer and is going to continue to ascend. We work on small details. Bryce never stops." Have we mentioned that Underwood is just 15 years old!? Underwood could literally be part of the 2026 recruiting class. In an era where reclassifying down has been popular — especially for quarterbacks — to gain an athletic advantage, Underwood did the exact opposite. He started school early and dominated the competition. "He's been playing older kids his whole life," Dooley said. "He just looks like a man. His body looks like some- body drew him. He looks like an action figure. He's 208 pounds and still has two years of high school left. He's just 15 years old, and he looks like a pretty-ass Kentucky Derby horse [laughs]." As a freshman, Underwood threw for 2,888 yards and 39 touchdowns with only 4 interceptions. Last fall, he threw for 2,762 yards and 37 TDs while adding 632 yards rushing and 8 more scores. In two years, he's 27-1 as a starter with the only two state championships in school history to his credit. Notably, he was named MaxPreps' National Sophomore Player of the Year in 2022, joining such big names as Der- rick Henry (2010, Alabama Heisman Trophy winner, NFL rushing leader and All-Pro with the Tennessee Titans), Ja- brill Peppers (2011, former consensus All-American at Michigan, now with the New England Patriots), D.J. Uiag- alelei (2017, now at Oregon State) and Quinn Ewers (2019, now at Texas). Underwood isn't much of a talker, but you can just feel that quiet confidence when you interact with him. Most high- profile quarterbacks want to be the only signal-caller in their respective recruit- ing classes and look at which quarter- backs are coming in ahead of them. Not Underwood. Michigan, for example, just landed a verbal pledge in late March from Jadyn Davis, On3's No. 4 quarterback in the 2024 class. Underwood doesn't care. Michigan will continue to be a player in his recruitment. The same goes for any other school bringing in a highly touted quarterback this cycle. "Bryce is confident within his craft and process," Dooley said. "Every coach he talks to that says 'Hey, we have this cat coming in,' Bryce literally looks them in the eyes and says 'It doesn't mat- ter, Coach. He has to beat me out.' He believes in the best man wins the job. He never shies away from competition." As expected, the five-star QB pros- pect has an impressive offer sheet with the likes of Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Texas all vying for his services. Michigan will do its best to keep Un- derwood home. Last cycle, the Wolver- ines saw five-star Detroit QB prospect Dante Moore head west and ultimately sign with UCLA. Michigan took an all- your-eggs-in-one-basket approach in that recruitment and failed. The Wolverines won't make the same mistake twice. Michigan is recruiting an array of the nation's top 2025 signal- callers, including Cutter Boley from Hodgenville, Ky., a five-star and the No. 3 QB in the country in the On3 Indus- try Ranking, and Ryan Montgomery of Findlay, Ohio, a four-star and the No. 12 signal-caller nationally. But make no mistake about it — Underwood, who has visited Ann Arbor on multiple occasions this offseason, is the ultimate prize. "This is a critical and pivotal moment for Michigan," Dooley said. "If Michigan gets Bryce Underwood, it would change the trajectory of their recruiting, and you may be looking at a two- to three- year national powerhouse in terms of winning and getting players that may go to Alabama or Georgia because of his influence. "Michigan has never had a quarter- back like Bryce Underwood. I think he's building a strong, strong relationship with Coach [Kirk] Campbell. If they keep doing what they are doing, I think they are going to have a legitimate shot at getting Bryce." ❏ ❱ Donovan Dooley, founder of Quarterback University "If Michigan gets Bryce Underwood, it would change the tra- jectory of their recruiting, and you may be looking at a two- to three-year national powerhouse in terms of winning and getting players that may go to Alabama or Georgia because of his influence." Underwood is rated as the No. 1 quarter- back and No. 1 overall prospect nationally in the 2025 class according to On3. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND