Bryce Underwood is heading into his sophomore season with critics on one side and his family firmly on the other. His mom Beverly made sure everyone knew which side she was on.

Beverly Underwood, who goes by the handle 'gchild16' on Instagram, posted a message on Bryce's story over the Fourth of July weekend.

"Thanks for bringing the family together. Love you kiddo," she wrote.

The message was accompanied by a clip showing the feast prepared for the family that had gathered to celebrate together and was shared on Bryce's Instagram Story.

Underwood's July 4 Instagram story revealed a small but real moment for a family that has sacrificed a lot to get Bryce to where he is. His father, Jaquan "Jay" Underwood, is the high school coach at Belleville High, Detroit, where Bryce grew up and dominated.

His parents were with him through every step, from his freshman year state title run to the No. 1 recruit ranking in the entire country. Bryce has never hidden how much his family means to him.

"That's the way my parents raised me," Bryce told CBS Sports. "I grew at a young age mentally and physically. It was insane, honestly."

His parents stayed close by when others left. When every powerhouse program in the country came calling, the Underwoods kept Bryce home in Detroit rather than sending him to a national football factory like IMG Academy. That decision paid off in a big way.

Since signing with Michigan, Bryce has made sure to bring his family along for the ride. Through an NIL partnership with Feldman Chevrolet, his parents both received brand new vehicles as part of the deal, with his father driving away in a Chevrolet Silverado High Country.

Beverly has been on the sidelines from day one but rarely in the spotlight. That story post was as public as she gets, and it said everything.

Bryce Underwood’s father coached him at Belleville High School before Michigan came calling

Jay Underwood didn't just raise a quarterback. He coached him too. As part of Belleville High School's staff, Jay was directly involved in developing Bryce through four varsity seasons, per MLive.

Bryce won back-to-back state championships in 2021 and 2022 and held a 50-4 record across his entire high school career. He also won two Gatorade Michigan Player of the Year awards. That is what Bryce built before he ever set foot in Ann Arbor.

Having your dad as your high school coach is a setup that can go wrong fast. But for the Underwood family, it worked. Bryce has talked about how his competitive drive and mental toughness came directly from how his parents raised him.

Jay watches from the stands now. But everything he taught his son still shows up every time Bryce takes a snap.

Do you think Bryce Underwood's family support system gives him an edge heading into his sophomore season? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit