Podcaster RJ Young currently covers college football for Fox Sports and has been involved in football for over 20 years. So when he talks about Bryce Underwood, he is not just guessing.

On his Adapt & Respond podcast, Young compared Bryce Underwood with Cam Newton. Newton earned over $136 million in his NFL career and is widely considered the greatest college football player of all time.

"When I see Bryce Underwood and what he can do once the play breaks down, yes, he is on par with what Cam can do after the play breaks down," Young said. "He ain't as big as Cam, he ain't as strong as Cam, but his arm is."

Both quarterbacks possess elite arm strength and unstoppable running ability when a play breaks down.

Young did not stop there. He addressed the root of the criticism levied on Underwood directly. The QB was not struggling last year because of a lack of talent. He had almost nobody to throw to.

"That boy was playing on emotion and good feelings last year," Young said. "He didn't have nobody to throw the football to."

The criticism may have some legs, though. During this spring game, backup QB Tommy Carr performed noticeably better, looked more poised, and was more productive than Underwood.

Underwood finished his true freshman season with 2,428 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions across all 13 starts. Young's view was simple. Those numbers came with no real receiver room around him and a coaching staff that has since been completely replaced.

Young also pointed out that holding things together as a true freshman starter at Michigan, given the weight of expectations at that program, already tells you something about the kind of competitor Underwood is.

What Has Actually Changed Around Underwood Heading Into 2026

In 2025, Andrew Marsh and Donaven McCulley were essentially the only reliable options Michigan had at receiver. That is not the case anymore.

Michigan added transfers Jaime Ffrench and JJ Buchanan alongside Marsh, giving Underwood defined weapons for the first time. New offensive coordinator Jason Beck has also made clear he is not holding Underwood back as a runner the way last year's staff did.

In 2025, under Moore, Underwood ran the ball freely only when the head coach was suspended. Beck plans to use those legs as a weapon every single week. That changes the entire equation for a quarterback.

Do you think Bryce Underwood will prove his critics wrong with a strong 2026 season? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi