Bryce Underwood’s progression didn’t unfold quite the way many anticipated, as the former No. 1 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class failed to make the major strides throughout the season that many expected. Expectations remain high heading into the future, but there are still some who remain unconvinced about his long-term ceiling and potential.
Why Analysts Are Questioning Bryce Underwood’s Potential in 2026
After attending Michigan Wolverines spring practice, former NFL All-Pro Eric Weddle shared a fairly pessimistic projection for Underwood heading into the 2026 season.
“Mark my words… don’t be surprised if the backups are playing early,” Weddle said. “That Underwood kid. I don’t think you can throw or play quarterback… I don’t understand it’s just quarterbacks in general, but I don’t understand how the position isn’t being taught from the pocket.
“I tried to coach Gaige.. I have taught him from the ground up- pocket awareness, timing, footwork, all that stuff matters because at the end of the day, your athleticism can only take over so much… When I went to nine schools of spring ball, I was like, ‘Dude, you’re better than half these guys. You’d be a backup here fighting for the starter.’”
This reaction comes shortly after ESPN’s David Hale released his ranking of all 138 FBS quarterbacks by tier, placing Underwood in Tier 5, labeled “The Christian Hackenberg Paradox.” The category highlights promising quarterbacks who flashed real talent as true freshmen in 2025 but still showed enough inconsistency and mistakes to raise questions about their long-term development.
When the Wolverines flipped Underwood away from the LSU Tigers, expectations were extremely high for the Belleville standout. He was immediately handed the starting job, but Michigan’s season ultimately fell short of double-digit wins. While he showed occasional flashes of elite potential, his performance was often disrupted by inconsistent decision-making and uneven play.
Underwood averaged 216 total yards per game and completed just over 60% of his passes. However, he also struggled with deep-ball accuracy, missing roughly 20% of his throws beyond the line of scrimmage, ranking among the worst marks for returning quarterbacks heading into 2026.
However, there is growing optimism internally with more than three months remaining before Michigan’s season opener. Reports from Schembechler Hall suggest Underwood is already turning heads in offseason work. According to sources, he is showing developmental progress reminiscent of J.J. McCarthy, with coaches believing his long-term ceiling remains very high.
Meanwhile, Underwood himself remains confident in Michigan’s direction entering 2026.
“We went through a lot, but I think we’re going to be more player-led this season,” Underwood told On3’s Chris Low. “I feel like we are more of a team now.”
If head coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck can refine his mechanics and reduce turnovers, Michigan could still have legitimate playoff potential. The PFSN College Football Playoff Impact model currently gives the Wolverines a 35.6% chance to reach the CFP in 2026.
Behind Underwood, Michigan’s quarterback room features veteran Colorado State transfer Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi alongside young, developmental options such as Tommy Carr, Chase Herbstreit, and Brady Smigiel.
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