Bryce Underwood had a rough end to his freshman season at the University of Michigan. After coming in as the No. 1 recruit in the country, he started every game but fell off badly as the year went on.

The spring game did not do much to calm anyone down, either. But NBC analyst Todd Blackledge visited Ann Arbor this spring and came away seeing something different.

He sat down on the Y-Option Podcast with Yogi Roth and said what the coaching staff has been saying all along, that Underwood is actually moving in the right direction.

"I think he definitely looks more comfortable, even though it's a different system," Blackledge said. "But I think he's more comfortable because he has those games under his belt. And I think that he's a very serious kid when it comes to work, training, and preparation."

"He wants to be in the building. He wants to be great, wants to be coached. And I think Jason Beck is going to be great for him," Blackledge added.

Blackledge was not just being polite either. He had Michigan's first game against New Mexico last season on NBC and saw Underwood play well. Then he watched him a few more times and noticed something that concerned him.

"I did not feel like he was better down the road than he was in Week 1," Blackledge said. "I don't know how well-coached he was last year. His development from a footwork standpoint and all the fundamentals and basics of playing the position, I just think that didn't get treated and taken care of the way it needs to."

Blackledge pointed to the new offensive coordinator as the exact missing piece Underwood needed, and his reasoning was not just based on hope.

Why Jason Beck Could Be Exactly What Underwood Needs

Blackledge pointed to new offensive coordinator Jason Beck as the reason things should look different in 2026. Beck previously turned little-known quarterback Devon Dampier into a genuine weapon, and Blackledge thinks Underwood's skillset fits what Beck runs perfectly.

"Look at Jason Beck's track record the last couple of years, whether it was at New Mexico, whether it was at Utah, off the charts, right?" Blackledge said. "And then how they train and utilize the quarterback, both as a thrower and a runner. From a skill set standpoint, Bryce is going to be perfect for this offense."

What Blackledge wants is for Underwood to be better at the end of the 2026 season than he was at the start of it. Michigan opens against Western Michigan on September 5 in a night game, with Blackledge and NBC on the call.

Do you think Jason Beck can unlock Bryce Underwood's potential in 2026? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore