The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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18 THE WOLVERINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2026 BY JOHN BORTON T he question returns, over and over, through the late summer months. How good is Michigan going to be this year? The answer comes back the same, at least before the on-field results start roll- ing in: Tell me how good the quarterback will be — along with the offensive line and upgraded receivers — and I'll tell you how good the overall result should turn out. The early 2026 fall camp talk, like it tends to do, came back positive. Sopho- more quarterback Bryce Underwood has made improvements to his footwork and overall mechanics, according to head coach Kyle Whittingham. The passing game ap- pears to have stepped up, both with the front-line protection and some eye-open- ing play by the receivers. The running game continues to be considered a strength. Of course, Oklahoma, Iowa, Indiana, Penn State, Oregon, Ohio State and oth- ers will have a lot to say about all that. But until then, the Wolverines feel like they're in a good place heading down the home- stretch in preparation for the 2026 season. "Grasping concepts … I would say the offense just continuing to get cleaner and cleaner as the days go by," Whittingham declared a few days into fall camp. "I saw the same thing last year at the other place [Utah] because we had hired a new coor- dinator and a new system was being put in place. I can see the same maturation pro- cess or the same process going on where it's starting to get just a little cleaner. "The substitutions, the formations, the personnel … everything's starting to tighten up. But we've still got a ways to go. I've seen it happen once, and I see it hap- pening again in that same fashion." Here's where things stood on the of- fensive side of the ball with precious days remaining before Michigan's opener. QUARTERBACK Underwood worked hard on his game over the summer, and Whittingham indi- cated that the arrows all pointed up. "We feel good about Bryce's progress right now," he said. "Better decision mak- ing, better pocket presence, his clocking head is better … he's getting the ball out quicker. "He is really continuing to be coachable, and [offensive coordinator] Jason Beck will do a great job, once we have a big enough body of work and we get close to game planning, to focus everything down and do what he does best to set him up for success. "That means arms and legs, RPOs, rolling out, name it. They aren't going to hold back and will do what it takes to win games, even if it means running him more. But again … we expect the passing game to take a big jump this year with the weapons on display, and so do they." When asked to compare Underwood to 2025 Utah quarterback Devon Dampier, Beck noted that Michigan's running game will include a threat from the QB. "Bryce is a big, physical kid," Beck said. "Devon was more quick, make you miss. But they're both just a threat. They can pull it. They can create. If things are breaking down, if things are covered, they can extend plays. We're working scramble drill, and the rules there when the quar- terback gets in the scramble drill to get open is a big part of the success we had with Devon and a big part of what we're working on developing when things hap- pen, all the scramble drill rules." Freshman Tommy Carr continues striving to build off his strong showing in Michigan's spring game. He's battling for the No. 2 spot with graduate transfer Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and sophomore Chase Herbstreit. Meanwhile, there has been some behind-the-scenes buzz that freshman Brady Smigiel — who injured his knee in his final prep season in 2025 — is getting close to on-field competition. OFFENSIVE LINE Two starters appear written in pen Now a sophomore, quarterback Br yce Underwood will be relied on even more to direct the U-M offense in 2026. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL FULL FULL SPEED SPEED AHEAD AHEAD Michigan Offense Gears Up For Big Tests To Come