When your coach compared you to Cam Newton, there's bound to be advice for a breakout season, especially under new OC Jason Beck, who has returned from Utah, whose offensive playbook could suit Bryce better

Kyle Whittingham took over as head coach of the Wolverines recently, and with him comes offensive coordinator Jason Beck, who could be the key ingredient unlocking Underwood’s potential this season. 

On the show, Michigan’s spring PHYSICAL on YouTube, Greg McElroy said, “Jason Beck is the OC (offensive coordinator), and he’s installing a system that will rely on a lot of speedy personnel.” 

Jason Beck, tasked with calling offense plays from the sidelines, will also use Bryce Underwood as a dual-threat weapon, passing and running the football. 

“You do have to be smart about it, you don’t want to run your quarterback 25 times unless you got a bye week or something to get him back. But it does seem to be a part of Bryce’s skill set, like doing some of the QB run game,” said Jason Beck. 

Underwood, a star in the making who started as a true freshman quarterback, will receive the necessary tools in Beck to excel in his second season. 

"He further added, And when he pulls it down and goes, it looks pretty impressive," Beck further said. "Now, we’re obviously not live, but we have a whole season of live film of what we did as a runner. And he did a nice job. So we’ll look to build on those, what he does well, and utilize his talents.” 

The Detroit native Underwood had a stellar 2025 season, passing for 2,428 yards and 11 touchdowns. The quarterback also had almost 400 rushing yards with six rushing touchdowns. 

It is going to be a big season for the sophomore quarterback under the new coaching staff of Kyle Whittingham and Jason Beck. 

Who Did Kyle Whittingham Compare Bryce Underwood To?

Kyle Whittingham, the new head coach of the maize and blue, compared his star quarterback, Bryce Underwood, to Carolina Panthers legend Cam Newton, as revealed by Gilroy in the video.

“He continues to be one of the most hyped up young players in the country," Greg McElroy said. If you listen to Whittingham comparing him favorably to Cam Newton in terms of his physical gifts and his ability to create with his legs.” 

The quarterback, who has established himself as a dual threat, is expected to be utilized heavily by Michigan.

"He kind of reminds me of Cam Newton,” Whittingham said, “As far as his charisma, his stature. Big dude, 6-4 plus, 240 pounds, live arm, great athlete. Flashes that smile a lot like Cam did.” 

Under new management, the spotlights will be on Underwood to see if he can flourish in the upcoming season despite all the changes around him.

What do you think? Can Underwood lead the maize and blue into post-season football this year? 

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Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote