Michigan football could look completely different offensively this fall, and No. 1 recruit quarterback Bryce Underwood is at the forefront. The 6-foot-4, 215 pound signal-caller is enrolled and on campus in Ann Arbor.
Underwood signed to Michigan just a couple weeks after flipping from LSU, where he was committed for nearly a full year.
Bryce Underwood opens up on being a Wolverine
At Belleville (Mich.) High, Underwood dominated competition during his entire prep career. He won a state championship as a freshman and sophomore, and took runner-up as a junior. As a senior he became Michigan’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns (143) and total touchdowns (173).
Underwood seems to have it all, and it’s just a matter of if (or when) he puts it all together at the next level. He said history is one of the reasons he chose to wear the winged helmet.
“The legacy that comes with it, the resources and also the great education that I will have,” Underwood said in an interview with Big Ten Network. “That’s one of the big factors that came with this decision that I made.”
As a student-athlete at one of the nation’s premiere universities, unique opportunities can arise. For Underwood, he had the chance to have a conversation with the most accomplished quarterback of all-time, who happens to be a Michigan alumnus.
“I talked to Tom Brady before, so that’s the main one that I’ve talked to really,” Underwood said. “Just a great experience to have with that.”
Underwood said Brady complimented his game.
“How much of a great player that I am and how much potential that he sees in me and how much better I can be,” Underwood shared.
Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore made ‘constant’ contact with Underwood during recruitment. Underwood said Moore will do whatever it takes to improve.
“He has a lot of grit, honestly,” Underwood said. “He’s willing to push to the end to be the best he could possibly be, and at no cost.”
Patience pays
It’s rare for a freshman to start at quarterback for a program like Michigan. Underwood won’t have the job handed to him either, as graduate transfer Mikey Keene (Fresno State) is set to compete with him.
Although it seems likely, Underwood is aware he might not get the starting nod right away. He also acknowledged how he paid attention to the trajectory of former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
“Definitely was rooting for him to be in the game as a freshman and a sophomore,” Underwood said. “Coming in his junior year and seeing him start the whole way, and a little bit of his sophomore year was just a great thing to see.”
Underwood said he’s even heard himself be compared to the 2023 national champion.
“I get a lot of people that say my game replicates his,” Underwood said. “How much of a game changer, how much of a leader I am, how much of a passer I can be, (and) how much I can do it on my feet as well.”
Underwood spearheads a 2025 recruiting class that landed Michigan at No. 6 in the nation.
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