Quarterback Bryce Underwood walks into year two with real expectations sitting on his shoulders. ESPN just laid both the beliefs and the questions surrounding the Michigan sophomore on the table at once.

Senior writer Jake Trotter covered the top 25 teams' lingering questions ahead of 2026 for ESPN. Underwood was one of the first names he landed on.

"Operating with limited weapons around him amid the chaos surrounding former coach Sherrone Moore, Underwood had an up-and-down debut season, completing just 60.3% of his passes with 11 touchdowns," Trotter wrote on ESPN.

No dedicated quarterback coach, a head coach who got fired for off-field reasons, and a receiver room that dropped 29 passes. That was Underwood's freshman year. When you see the context, his numbers start making more sense.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham has spoken openly about what he expects from Underwood this season. Turning the "mega-talent" into a "completely finished product" is how he put it, per ESPN's July 17 report.

The HC has also addressed some of the obstacles in Underwood's path. He hired  Koy Detmer Jr. as quarterbacks coach in January and completely overhauled the receiver room roster.

Trotter added that if the development clicks, Michigan could emerge as a surprise contender in the Big Ten. For a program that has won three straight Big Ten titles and a national championship, being called a surprise contender is a reality check in itself.

Michigan sent Underwood, Andrew Marsh and Trey Pierce to Big Ten Media Days. That is the clearest signal yet of who this program is building around heading into fall.

ESPN analyst placed Bryce Underwood in the “Christian Hackenberg paradox” tier among FBS QBs

Earlier this offseason ESPN's David Hale ranked all 138 FBS quarterbacks by tier. Underwood landed in a group Hale named "The Christian Hackenberg Paradox."

"True freshmen putting up impressive seasons is a rarity, and it often portends greatness. But not always," Hale wrote on ESPN.

Hackenberg came out of his Penn State freshman year looking like a lock for the first round. Big arm. 6-foot-4. Every tool a QB could want. He never lived up to any of it.

The point behind Hale's comments is simple. A strong freshman year does not guarantee what comes next. Once the season begins in September, analysts will see whether Underwood's ranking was fair or not.

Do you think Bryce Underwood will silence his critics with a big sophomore season? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit