A while ago, Bryce Underwood said he views himself as the best player to come out of Michigan. The quarterback is entering his sophomore season with confidence after he fell short in the 2025 season. While Underwood’s faith in himself is much needed, experts question whether he has the performance to prove it.

“It’s just interesting to see these continued statements and the difficulties that he ran into last year,” Tony Gerdeman, the co-host of Buckeye Insider, said. “We talked after watching the Michigan spring game; this looks like the same guy, and he looked like the same guy in November that he looked like in September. And so where is this development?”

Gerdeman made his comments on July 6 to Tom Orr. The two discussed whether Underwood's comments held up, what he meant, and how his freshman year shaped his development.

The 18-year-old QB, who completed 3 passes from nine attempts in the spring game, made a bold statement on June 22. During a media interaction at a youth camp in Saline, Underwood shared what his mindset looks like heading into this season. 

“I want to prove to myself that I am what I think I am... I feel like I’m the best player ever to come out of Michigan; now it’s time for me to show it,” Underwood told All about Ann Arbor. 

In 2025, the Wolverines’ tumultuous season ended with a 9-4 overall record. Underwood contributed 2,428 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Underwood’s performance failed to justify the hype he received during his recruitment drive, as discussed in the Buckeye Weekly Podcast.

As criticism continues to mount around him, new head coach Kyle Whittingham has come to his quarterback’s defense. 

“First of all, Bryce was thrown into a pretty tough situation last fall,” Whittingham said on May 3. “A true freshman, 18 years old, starting quarterback, not only a P4 program, but Michigan. Also didn’t have a dedicated quarterback coach last year, from what I was told.”

Underwood now has a dedicated quarterback coach: Jason Beck. He followed Whittingham from Utah for his first season with the maize and blue too.

Michigan’s new QB coach shares which players he wants in the 2026 offense 

While discussing Bryce Underwood’s statement and Michigan’s way forward this season, Buckeye Insider hosts weighed in if the new changes in the program have made any impact on Underwood.

“Yes, now he’s got a quarterback’s coach, and everything’s going to be fine. That hasn’t necessarily been seen yet,” Tony Gerdeman said. 

Jason Beck is the program’s new quarterback coach. Apart from being the position coach, he is also the offensive coordinator and made a statement on his vision for 2026. While Underwood’s statement caught attention for the wrong reasons, it oddly aligns with what Beck demands of his players.

“This offense is all about who are our best players, and we refer to it as a circle of trust,” Beck said on June 10. “Who are the guys that they know what to do, they can get their job done, they can make plays.”

In 2025, Michigan ranked 69th in 2025 in scoring offense while the Utah Utes, under Beck, were No. 4. Will the Beck-Underwood duo do well in time and prove the QB was right about himself? 

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar