The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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66 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MAY 2025 "Bryce Underwood is the best freshman quarterback we've ever had here." T hat was the response when we asked a longtime Michi- gan football insider just how much we should expect from the 6-foot-4 wunderkind this season heading into the April 19 spring game. We'd already heard, publicly and privately, how he'd been impress- ing in practice with his flawless delivery and physical skills. Head coach Sherrone Moore took it a step further when talking about the former Belleville, Mich., standout and national No. 1 recruit's work ethic after he threw for 187 yards in his Blue team's 17-0 win over the Maize. "The work ethic … he told me he's a night owl, and that's true," Moore said. "I try to get him to sleep more because he's in the building a lot, and he's doing a lot to get better. "But nothing's surprised me in the way he carries himself and what he does. Just knowing his family, his mom and dad, Jay and Beverly, they just did an outstanding job raising the young man. It's been awesome to have him around." He had his highs and lows in the spring game, as you'd expect of a true freshman (still 17 years old) in that set- ting, but the skill was obvious. Like J.J. McCarthy, the "generational" (in former coach Jim Harbaugh's words) national championship quarterback and one of the best to ever wear the winged helmet, Underwood's arm is elite. He boasts a great feel for the game, incredible lead- ership skills, and effortless delivery. Perhaps most importantly though, and like McCarthy, he is all about his team. Sure, he has confidence in himself, and he's honest when asked about it. Take his appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show" a few months back when he pro- claimed, "two Heisman Trophies and at least one natty" when asked his goals at Michigan. But everyone in the building understands he has the goods to back it up, and like McCarthy, he just wants to win. "The biggest piece is just know- ing where he's going, what's going on," Moore said. "Watching his teammates grow towards him … because you come in with a guy that's so highly ranked and highly touted, it would be easy for a lot of guys to deflect and not want him to be part of the team. "But they just embrace him like they embrace everybody else. He's embraced the team and is very humble, very self- less." That's part of what makes a champi- onship team — when its most talented players are also the best leaders. Mc- Carthy epitomized that, sacrificing big- ger numbers for group success as well as anyone who ever played here. At the same time, it also takes more than just great quarterback play. McCar- thy had a Joe Moore Award-winning of- fensive line, outstanding running backs, and some very good pass catching tight ends and receivers, not to mention some elite defenses to back him. Those were pieces previous Michigan quar- terback talents Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner, for example, weren't afforded. As such, the for- mer is remembered as one of the only reasons Michigan football was fun to watch during his era, the lat- ter a "what might have been" tale … "if only he'd had the offensive line and supporting cast." We've said it many times over the years in this column, and we'll say it again — great offense starts with good line play. Elite quarterbacks don't need it to be remarkable, es- pecially when they can move (like Underwood), but they do need time to throw. As our analyst, former Michigan offensive lineman Doug Skene, says regularly, "The way to ensure your quarterback isn't going to have his best day is to let him get hit early. The offensive line's motto needs to be, 'Nobody touches the quarterback!'" Upon first glance, it appears the coaches have work to do for a second straight year in finding the right men for the job. There's still time though, whether through development or the portal, to make sure the offensive line is up to par, and they have to do whatever it takes. "There might not be any All-Ameri- cans out there this year," former Michi- gan All-America tackle Jon Jansen said of the men up front. "But there's enough talent there to put together a solid line." They've got the backs, an improved receiving corps, an elite kicking game, and — once again — a defense that should be among the best in the confer- ence. It's up to Moore and his staff, now, to finish this puzzle and protect their investment. Underwood can do a lot, and we pre- dict he'll be the guy from Day 1. But he can't — and shouldn't have to — do a lot of it on his own. ❏ Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood will need excellent line play, tough running backs, effective wide receivers and a stingy defense to reach his goal of winning a "natty" at Michigan. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Chris Balas has been with The Wolverine since 1997. Contact him at cbalas@ thewolverine.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @Balas _ Wolverine. INSIDE MICHIGAN ❱ CHRIS BALAS 'Elite,' But Not A One Man-Show