Bryce Underwood has had doubters all offseason. And it seems Isaiah Hole, host of the Locked On Wolverines podcast, has had enough of it. Hole pushed back on the negative spring practice reports, citing his own sources.

During the podcast on June 5, Hole said that these reports suggest that Underwood looks generally better in practice heading into 2026.

"Tell me you don't understand how practice works without telling me you don't understand how practice works," Hole said on the show. "Guys have bad practices. It's just not always going to look great."

Hole drew a direct comparison to JJ McCarthy's fall camp in 2022. His source at the time said McCarthy was all over the place in practice, big plays mixed with "bonehead" ones back to back.

But nobody panicked. McCarthy went on to start every game in the 2023 season and even won a national title.

He also referenced the Wilton Speight situation in 2016 and 2017. Everyone on the inside knew Speight was the starter. Media speculation pointed everywhere else. Hole's read on Underwood right now is identical.

Hole used Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham as an even bigger testament to Underwood's potential. He argued that a competitive head coach does not publicly name a guy QB1 if he is genuinely worried about benching him before long.

And Whittingham has backed Bryce Underwood up all spring.

"Bryce is our clear No. 1. He's QB1, without a doubt," Whittingham told media. "He has performed very well in workouts, not only with his athleticism but leadership-wise."

Despite all the outside noise and criticism, the people inside the building are all on the same page about Underwood.

What Whittingham Has Said About Underwood's Development This Offseason

Kyle Whittingham was upfront about what needed fixing after 2025. He confirmed Underwood had no dedicated quarterback coach working with him daily last season, and Jason Beck and Koy Detmer changed that immediately.

"I think he's really improved overall," Whittingham told media during spring practice. "His footwork is better and he's been making better decisions. He's still a work in progress."

Underwood finished 2025 with 2,428 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions across all 13 starts. The tools have always been there. How far Beck and Detmer can hone them is the real story of 2026.

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

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit