John Middlekauff did not need a long film-room explanation to reach his verdict on Bryce Underwood. The former Philadelphia Eagles scout watched Michigan survive Western Michigan in Week 1 and came away wondering why the Wolverines should keep sending their sophomore quarterback back out there.
The criticism lands at an awkward time for Michigan. After officials restored one second to the clock, Underwood delivered a 47-yard Hail Mary to JJ Buchanan that gave Michigan a 13-12 escape, but the final throw covered up an offense that spent most of the night stuck in neutral.
John Middlekauff Wants Michigan To Consider a Change
Middlekauff pulled no punches in his Week 1 assessment of Underwood, saying, “He just stinks. There’s nowhere; he stinks. I don’t think you can keep rolling this guy out. I think you just got to punt on these things.”
“He STINKS. I don’t think you can keep rolling this guy out.”@JohnMiddlekauff explains why Michigan should BENCH QB Bryce Underwood after his poor Week 1 performance vs. Western Michigan. pic.twitter.com/H5g531qOoh
— 3 & OUT with John Middlekauff (@3andout_pod) September 7, 2026
His argument focused partly on the financial reality of modern college football. Middlekauff pointed out NIL money has changed how he evaluates highly compensated players, making the sport feel “much more like the NFL” and “much more transactional.”
He then aimed at Underwood’s play specifically. “This quarterback’s making three or four million dollars a year and looks like he would not start on any top 50 program in the country if there was no money involved and you just had to go win a job,” Middlekauff said.
“I don’t even see anything there. I think Michigan has a massive, massive problem.”
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Michigan Keeping Bryce Underwood as QB1… For Now
Underwood completed 12 of 22 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception against Western Michigan. Michigan finished with only 276 total yards, committed three turnovers, and possessed the ball for just 19:52, according to the official box score.
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PFN’s current QB rankings place Underwood No. 54 among 138 FBS starters. His 78.0 QB Impact score from 2025 ranked 79th among 190 qualifying quarterbacks, with a 74.1 passing grade, 78.6 rushing grade, and 74.3 clutch grade.
Middlekauff closed his criticism by pointing to Kyle Whittingham’s reaction on the sideline, saying, “You saw the look on Kyle Whittingham’s face, like, what did I sign up for here?”
Whittingham did not go as far as Middlekauff.
On Monday, Michigan’s coach said he’s keeping Underwood as the starter but stopped well short of giving him an unconditional vote of confidence.
“He’s our QB right now. It’s not something that’s infinite,” Whittingham said.
Freshman Tommy Carr is next on the depth chart, which makes Saturday’s matchup with Oklahoma more than another early-season test.
Underwood saved Michigan with one throw in Week 1. Now he has to show that the Wolverines should not need saving at quarterback.
