In a stunning development for a prestigious football program, the Michigan Wolverines dismissed Sherrone Moore after he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges stemming from a domestic relationship incident involving a former staffer.
Shortly afterward, Michigan hired former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham as his replacement.
Kyle Whittingham Praises Bryce Underwood’s Potential
Whittingham, who previously stepped down from Utah in December 2025, reconsidered after receiving Michigan’s offer. The chance to lead such a storied program, now featuring quarterback talent like former five-star recruit Bryce Underwood, was too significant for him to pass up.
Multiple factors influenced Whittingham’s decision to accept the Michigan job, chief among them the strength of the team’s talent. Over the past two seasons, Michigan recruited top-12 classes according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings.
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Underwood, the top-ranked player in the 2025 class per 247 Sports, became a focal point for Whittingham soon after he joined the program.
As a true freshman, Underwood completed 202 of 335 passes (60.3%) for 2,428 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed for 392 yards and six touchdowns on 88 carries. He earned a PFSN CFB QB Impact score of 78.0, which gave him a C+ grade.
Recently, Whittingham joined David Pollack to discuss Michigan’s upcoming season. When asked about his quarterback, Whittingham offered extremely high praise, marking a new era for the team.
“Well, I compared him in stature and you know how he looks to Cam Newton a week or so ago,” Whittingham told Pollack. “Now, in no way or shape or form I saying that’s who he’s playing like right now. Cam’s a was a heck of a player, but I had a chance to meet Cam and Bryce is 6’4 plus 230 lbs. and has a cannon arm. So there’s a lot of features and similarities there. But uh you talk about a guy with a huge upside. That’s Bryce Underwood.”
To fully understand the comparison Whittingham made, consider Newton’s impact: He led Auburn to one of the greatest college football seasons in 2010, resulting in an undefeated run, a national championship, and a Heisman Trophy.
While Underwood has significant potential, he still has a long journey ahead before reaching that level. There is much to learn before the 2026 season arrives.
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“We’re trying to, first of all, teach him the new offense,” Whittingham explained. “That’s job one is to learn the schemes while at the same time we’re working on the fundamentals and techniques, a few things to clean up there that need to happen.”
Whittingham is confident in Underwood’s progress: “He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve coached.”
That’s high praise from a coach who consistently extracted the most out of his teams at Utah. On Saturday, Sept. 5, Whittingham hosts Western Michigan in his home debut. Just a week later, Michigan will welcome Oklahoma in one of the biggest non-conference games of the season.
