For college football players, spring games are big. The exposure these games get helps talented players catch a program's eye. This time, the player under the spotlight is Bryce Underwood of the Michigan Wolverines, whose spring game perhaps wasn't his best showing.

Amid backup quarterback Tommy Carr's impressive outing, Underwood's performance specifically stood out. The player was recently confirmed to be the QB1 for 2026 by new head coach Kyle Whittingham.

"Michigan fans probably wanted to see more from Underwood Saturday, even in a wonky spring setting." Patrick Andres of Sports Illustrated recently wrote. "The Detroit native completed three of nine passes for 22 yards and took a pair of sacks."

Bryce had a decent debut in 2025, with just over 60% completion rate, managing 17 touchdowns in total. Now, under the new head coach, Kyle Whittingham, the eighteen-year-old sophomore QB could uncover his full potential.

During the Michigan Wolverines’ spring game, Bryce completed three of nine passes for 22 yards.

The concerns are already starting to surface around Bryce Underwood, and Maize n Brew did not hold back after the spring game.

The outlet pointed to shaky footwork and clunky mechanics, with Underwood slipping into familiar habits, holding the ball too long or getting restless in the pocket and turning plays into chaos.

While he is still just 18 and working with a limited sample size, it was far from convincing, leaving real skepticism about whether he can anchor Michigan’s Big Ten title hopes and playoff push.

Although the sophomore QB is still adjusting to a new system under Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck, fans’ expectations are immense. As such, the community remains divided in its opinions regarding Bryce Underwood’s value as a player.

Kyle Whittingham Addresses Michigan's Spring Game Performance 

For Kyle Whittingham, there was no panic despite the uneven showing in the spring game.

The Utah head coach made it clear the offense is still a work in progress, but firmly “on track,” pointing to last season’s similar early struggles before it turned into one of the nation’s most productive units.

"He progressed all through spring, there’s some things that may not be noticeable to just the general populace but his footwork, his pocket presence, he’s improved in all areas," Whittingham said after the game. "...We’ve still got a lot of confidence in him."

At the same time, Whittingham did find reasons for optimism, singling out Savion Hiter as a bright spot. While the breakout runs were missing, his physicality and power stood out, hinting at a bigger role ahead as Utah looks to piece things together before the fall.

All in all, the spring game may not have been perfect, but it is clear that the head coach is positive about the upcoming season for Michigan and young quarterback Bryce Underwood.

Read more at the Michigan Football Community

Written by

Arundhoti Patil

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote