On Monday, Aug 25, the Michigan Wolverines officially announced Bryce Underwood as the starting quarterback for the 2025-2026 season. For a program eyeing a playoff, making a freshman a starting quarterback is a big bet, and this has got fans debating whether the LSU commit will be worth the bet. The 2025 overall No.1 recruit led most of the rating lists in the 2025 class, making him Michigan’s highest-rated signee of the year. With history pointing to the fact that freshman quarterbacks mostly face a tough road in the Big Ten. Would this be any different for Michigan? Or would the decision end the season for the program before it begins?
The eighteen-year-old former Belleville High School standout quarterback led his team to two Division 1 MHSAA state championships. In his senior year, he threw for 2,509 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, and had a 71.8% completion rate, cementing his place as the number one overall prospect in the 2025 class, and the most hype incoming freshman. He flipped his pledge from LSU Tigers to Michigan in Nov 2024 in a decision that stemmed from his love for playing close to home.
To talk less about his high school achievements, the Wolverines’ offense’s Passing efficiency was below standard last season, as they were ranked in the lower by major sources. This could probably be one of the contributing factors to the trust bestowed on Underwood.
Head coach Sherrone Moore, in one of his recent interview, emphasized that the opportunity was earned by the young quarterback, not just given. With Underwood in the quarterback position are veterans like Miey Keene and Jadyn Davis, a recruit from the previous class. The 6’4’’ 228-pound starting quarterback will be the fourth freshman QB in the history of the Wolverines to kickstart week 1 for the program. He joined the list of Rick Leach (1995), Chad Henne (2004), and, of recent memory, Tate Forcier (2009).
Official: @BryceUnderwoo16 has been named our starting QB pic.twitter.com/6bxUnOn2Mq
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) August 25, 2025
Locked in, humble, and all about business.@BryceUnderwoo16 is ready for his Wolverine debut. pic.twitter.com/xKmFFrywrk
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) August 26, 2025
Why the Wolverines are betting big on Underwood
Michigan will begin playing the Big Ten’s programs with a kickoff match with New Mexico on Aug 6, and Oklahoma on Sep 7, respectively, which will serve as a litmus test as to whether Underwood will be able to handle the pressure.
Nevertheless, his record and high school experience will be a great foundation to build on. But in this case, he’ll now be playing on a more complex scheme and, of course, with a faster speed, the dynamic element that the team lacked last season. While he currently represents the wildcard, one capable of further repositioning the program, it is worth noting that the season’s narrative will be on his shoulders should there be any rookie mistakes.
One unique part of his game is mobility, evident in his senior year stats with over 600 rushed yards and six scores, which is paramount in exploiting zone defenses. Michigan has a team that is tailored to such scheme, which could ease his transition, as it will, in a way, reduce dependency on pure drop-back passing.
Maybe he would be the game changer. The answer will start to reveal itself. Here comes the anticipated college football week.
