Expectations are incredibly high for Michigan freshman quarterback phenom Bryce Underwood, who joined the Wolverines’ 2025 recruiting class as the No. 1 player in the country and is expected by many to be the team’s Week One starter.
However, Michigan linebacker Earnest Haussman said the quarterback battle is wide open at Big Ten Media Days. One Wolverines insider, though, believes that might not be the case. What’s actually happening under center in Ann Arbor?
Insider Challenges Earnest Hausmann’s Claim About Michigan QB Battle
Michigan Wolverines linebacker Earnest Hausmann made waves at Big Ten Media Days with his comments about Underwood. He first praised the young quarterback, explaining that he’s very mature for his age.
“Bryce is as good as advertised,” Hausmann said at Big Ten Media Days. “But the thing that I’m really impressed about Bryce is the way he’s matured beyond his years.”
However, Hausmann went on to say that even though he’s impressed by Underwood, the quarterback competition in Ann Arbor is wide open heading into the team’s fall camp.
“The quarterback position — it’s completely open,” Hausmann said. “We don’t know who’s going to be playing. We don’t know who’s going to be [starting] Week 1, Week 2, Week 3. It could all change, right?”
While Hausmann’s opinion as a member of the Wolverines should be considered, Michigan insider Isaiah Hole explained on the “Locked On Wolverines” podcast that his sources tell a different story about the quarterback competition.
“I’ve spoken to about three people who are close to the situation,” Hole said. “The quarterback situation — to my understanding — is not as open as they would lead you to believe.”
It’s an interesting rebuttal to Hausmann’s claim, but Hole suggests it could be a designed smoke screen from Michigan. Keeping New Mexico, the Wolverines’ season opener opponent on August 30, uncertain about the starter might give Michigan an advantage by giving the Lobos less time to prepare.
This could continue into a big Week 2 matchup against Oklahoma, since other quarterbacks are expected to get some “garbage-time snaps.”
Hole also explains that Michigan’s staff could be using this as a tactic to encourage Underwood to earn the starting role rather than assume it will be handed to him, pushing him to compete and improve throughout fall camp.
Whatever Michigan’s reason for wanting its quarterback to compete throughout fall camp is, it should help Underwood handle pressure and adversity early in his career. It will also allow the Wolverines to see if he is truly ready to be the team’s starter.
Underwood is just 17 years old, and taking over at a program as prestigious as Michigan is no small task. The Wolverines need to be sure he is prepared before officially naming him the starter.
Following their first two games against the Lobos and Sooners, Michigan will face a tough schedule that includes Nebraska, Wisconsin, USC, Michigan State, and Ohio State.
