Bryce Underwood walks into the 2026 season with a lot to prove. This time, the reality check came from a player who plays for the Michigan Wolverines' archrivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit's son and Ohio State tight end, Zak Herbstreit, shared his thoughts on Underwood.

Zak did not hold back when the conversation turned to Michigan during the May 22 episode of the On3 podcast. He acknowledged the scrutiny around Underwood's spring game performance and made it clear that he needs to prove himself in Ann Arbor.

"I'm not sold on Underwood for the amount of money they're giving him," said Zak. "I understand he's a young player and they put a lot on his shoulders in year one. I think this season in general is kind of a make-or-break for him."

Underwood arrived at Michigan as the No. 1 overall recruit of the 2025 class, reportedly signing a NIL package valued at approximately $12.5 million. However, he had a mixed freshman season with 2,428 yards in thirteen games played.

He struggled against Oklahoma, completing nine of 24 passes for 142 yards. In spring games, too, he had an underwhelming performance, completing only 3 of 9 passes for 22 yards.

Questions are starting to build around whether the young quarterback can take the next step under new head coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck.

"I think you got to be a little lenient in the Oklahoma game," Zak said. "He does need to show potential. Needs to show promise."

As the 2026 season is going to be a crucial year for Underwood to find his footing in Ann Arbor, the quarterback's mindset plays an important role.

Underwood Accepts the Criticism, and Michigan Builds the Offense Around Him

Underwood is not shying away from the noise. He reflected honestly on his freshman year and what he took from it.

"I guess I look at it as a test run," Underwood told On3. "I knew I had a lot to learn and that there would be ups and downs. I'm just glad the team welcomed me in and helped me grow as a leader. I looked at it as we were building together, and we're going to keep building."

Michigan is doing its part, too. Whittingham was candid about the situation Underwood walked into as a true freshman last season, speaking on The Blue Print.

"First of all, Bryce was thrown into a pretty tough situation last fall," Whittingham said. "A true freshman, 18 years old, starting quarterback, not only a P4 program, but Michigan."

As per Whittingham, Underwood already stepped into Michigan, a program that has claimed 12 national championships. At the same time, he did not have a dedicated quarterback coach during his first year with Michigan.

But Whittingham is also making efforts to help Underwood. He has brought Beck and quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. from Utah, who are polishing the quarterback in terms of throwing motion nuances and his footwork.

What do you think about the 2026 season being Underwood's make-or-break year? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar