One of Kyle Whittingham’s top priorities after becoming Michigan’s head coach was keeping Bryce Underwood in the program. The Wolverines secured the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, but failed to maximize his talent this season fully. Whittingham is now aiming to unlock Underwood’s full potential by hiring Jason Beck to oversee Michigan’s offense and bringing in Koy Detmer Jr. to develop the quarterbacks.
Bryce Underwood Draws Attention After Latest Comments From Urban Meyer, Kyle Whittingham
On Monday’s episode of “The Triple Option” podcast, former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer sat down with Whittingham and raised concerns about Underwood’s performance throughout the season.
“Bryce Underwood is coming back,” Meyer said (40:00). “I remember watching him live and in person last year, early in the season. And once they started, they didn’t run them in the first two or three games. The third game, I believe it was, they ran them. And I said, ‘This is over now.’ Now it’s over because you got a freak athlete that can really throw it, but you throw on the tape week 10 and 11, it’s actually not as good as it was early.”
“I watched him, I have a lot of respect for that player. And the skill set’s there, but you know, and I’m sure Jason’s spent some time with him back.”
Underwood holds a 78.00 score in the PFSN College Football QBi. He finished the season with 2,428 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, while also rushing for 392 yards and six scores.
Whittingham said that Underwood previously did not have a dedicated quarterbacks coach to fine-tune his mechanics. He described the quarterback as the “total package,” saying that it is now up to the Michigan staff to polish his game.
Meyer also asked whether keeping Underwood was difficult following the firing of Sherrone Moore in December. Moore played a key role in flipping Underwood from LSU, which was considered one of the biggest recruiting wins of the 2025 class.
Whittingham said he spent extensive time with Underwood during last month’s Citrus Bowl against Texas, which ultimately clicked.
“It was pretty much let’s go,” Whittingham said (41:35). “There was maybe a little hesitation until he got to know me and the rest of the staff. But once he got to know us, it was on a good trajectory from that point. And then he announced, of course, several days ago and really helped our recruiting when he announced, and it was a stabilizing factor for us.”
Underwood got a major offensive boost on Sunday, as former Texas wide receiver Jaime Ffrench announced that he would be joining Michigan. Ffrench is expected to be another pass catcher who is capable of making plays.
With several days remaining in the transfer portal window, the Michigan QB is also expected to continue helping attract more talent around him.
