The Michigan Wolverines have a problem at quarterback, and it could spell trouble for this coaching staff
Bryce Underwood’s play is getting worse every game, and the Michigan Wolverines have to figure it out quickly before taking on Ohio State
The Michigan Wolverines had their biggest offseason win of perhaps all time last year when they flipped elite quarterback Bryce Underwood away from the LSU Tigers, keeping the top recruit in-state and giving them their most talented quarterback of perhaps all time.
Thanks to an injury to Mikey Keene in the offseason, Bryce Underwood earned the starting job for Michigan virtually unopposed, and many were excited to see what he had to offer after the dismal rotation of quarterbacks the Wolverines threw out on the field in 2024. The dual-threat talent has all the talent in the world, and Michigan made what they believed to be the correct hire in Chip Lindsey to nurture that talent.
However, it is now nine games into his time as the starter, and Underwood is beginning to look worse and worse as time goes on this season. To make matters worse, he is flunking tests against the worst teams Michigan will play, with two back-to-back stinkers against Michigan State and Purdue. With The Game against the Ohio State Buckeyes getting closer and closer, it’s getting harder and harder to feel confident in Underwood delivering against that defense, and that’s a significant problem for this coaching staff.
Can Sherrone Moore fix Bryce Underwood?
It was easy to point the blame at the offensive line at the beginning of the season. They got clobbered by Oklahoma’s defensive line, and injuries at multiple spots forced them to shuffle pieces around up front. However, they can’t really blame the offensive line in recent weeks, as they’ve started putting up good film every week and are keeping Underwood cleaner than they have been.
The problem is that Underwood just isn’t seeing the field well enough to operate the offense. Which is somewhat to be expected for a true freshman. What should be an expectation for a true freshman who has had the entire offense tailored to him after spending the entire offseason as the starter is to at least hit open receivers, and…well, he’s not really doing that.
Even when Michigan had plays drawn up with a player open, Underwood rarely connected, finishing just 13-of-22 for 145 yards passing. In his last two games, Underwood has amassed just 231 passing yards for zero touchdowns and an interception, and has completed just 53% of his passes.
The worst part of the process is that it’s hard to find many games that we can point to for Underwood. He was mostly fine against a dreadful Wisconsin team, but the passing game has sputtered in virtually every other game of the season. Sure, they are better than last season, but that’s not exactly a high bar to clear.
Michigan QBs through 9 games in 2024: 64% completions, 9 TDs, 7 INTs, 1199 yards
Bryce Underwood through 9 games in 2025: 62% completions, 7 TDs, 2 INTs, 1440 yards
The Michigan coaching staff pinned all of their hopes on Underwood to essentially save their jobs after looking terrible in virtually every game last season, and while they are winning, they look dreadful when doing so, and Underwood is part of that. This staff has done an awful job in developing him, and it was their choice to hire an offensive coordinator who made Drake Maye look mediocre at North Carolina and to not be more aggressive in adding wide receiver talent in the portal.
They are benefitting off of just Underwood’s natural talent alone without doing anything to nurture it, and it’s showing.
Bryce Underwood has yet to deliver on the hype for Michigan, and at this rate, I believe he would be entirely justified if he elected to portal out and get away from whatever the Wolverines are doing, as the operation feels ready to implode at any moment. They are undisciplined, poorly prepared, and constantly playing down to competition.
With The Game on the horizon, the staff somehow has to find a way to get Underwood right and fast. Otherwise, I feel pretty confident in their win streak over the Buckeyes coming to an end in a few short weeks, and Sherrone Moore should be on the hot seat.
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