Imagine Bryce Underwood in that purple and gold entering the Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and piecing passes like effortless darts game after game. This is one of the scenarios that could have played out in college football this year. Sherrone Moore wouldn’t have gotten his prized possession, and Brian Kelly would still be commending Joe Sloan and Cortez Hankton’s recruitment. But all it took was a FaceTime call with Tom Brady, some persuasion from Oracle’s founder Larry Ellison, and a promise of $12 million NIL money. Poof! In a second, Bryce Underwood discarded that purple and gold, donned that maize and blue, and came hopping into Ann Arbor.

The move became a landmark NIL capture in college football, and Sherrone Moore became the architect as he pulled a 6’31/2″ and 205 lbs rabbit out of his hat. So, with that hype and a mountain of expectations, the new Michigan prodigy started practicing in spring. But there, he might have realized that the QB1 spot may not be so easy to take, since there were more than enough competitors around. Mikey Keene, the Fresno State transfer, and Davis Warren might have become thorns in Underwood’s QB1 dream. And Jadyn Davis?

“I’ve never been scared to compete… I’m going to do what is right for me and my family. ” Declared Jadyn Davis and made his stance on the QB1 battle clear. Then, after the spring practices culminated and spring games rolled in, a whole new scenario came to life. Let’s just say Bryce Underwood didn’t have the performance that 40,000 Michigan folks at the Big House were expecting. The QB threw for 187 yards, completing just 12 of his 26 passes, and even took a sack on his first snap. The spring games were opening up a whole new scenario that Bryce Underwood needed to reckon with.

Well, it looks like the Belleville native has finally understood the difference and the high-stakes environment he is going to face in college football. The QB expanded on the issue in a recent interview posted on his YouTube channel. “College made me re-recognize who I am“. The interviewer interjected, “Like in what way?”. The QB replied. “Like how my play style actually is. Like it showed how fast I got to play and how I’m actually capable of doing that. It’s been smooth, I’ve been having fun“.

With three QBs sniffing a single lapse and ready to pounce on any opportunity to take the QB1 spot. The issue becomes not of how well you can perform, but of how consistently you can deliver those top-notch performances. There’s no room for lapse and rest in college football, not for coaches and not for players. Moreover, when you have a multimillion-dollar NIL tag and a generational talent tag stuck on you, you have to make every snap count, even in open scrimmages. Still, we have to remember that even the coaches know that Bryce is just a 17-year-old kid, and as harsh as we can be on his non-performance, there should always be room for second chances.

Sherrone Moore becomes defensive for Bryce Underwood

Despite some of the issues with Bryce Underwood’s spring game, he eventually led his team to a 17-0 win and also showed some glimpses of his elite caliber. For instance, the scrimmage ending 88-yard pass to tight end Jalen Hoffman was a treat to watch as it landed in a reverse flea-flicker. So, when head coach Sherrone Moore was asked about Underwood’s performance, the head coach defended his QB.

“He did well. Made some really good throws and had some things we need to clean up and get better at. But he’s a continued work in progress, and he’s more than capable of doing it“. Well, even Sherrone Moore knows that Spring games right now are becoming less symbolic, where teams do not even run their actual plays and opt to be more rudimentary on both sides of the ball.

It is possible that Bryce Underwood’s performance was marred by just performing under ‘simplistic’ conditions. But even if there were any issues (even minor) left in the QB’s game, Sherrone Moore will make sure it will not flow into the fall camp, and Underwood becomes game-sharp. Even the QB will have to perform with a chip on his shoulder with three other QBs breathing down his neck throughout the 2026 season.