Bryce Underwood has been the most coveted yet most controversial product at Ann Arbor this off-season. Sherrone Moore faced a long-standing chaos in his QB room last season. He experimented a lot but ultimately left with an empty hand. Multiple missed portal opportunities and a lack of proper infrastructure for development made them go short and meek in the most important position group for the team. The quarterback purgatory limited the potential of the defending champion, leaving Moore under the vehement scrutiny. The sour days, however, had now become a memory worth forgetting, but Moore had embedded the lesson in his gut. In an aggressive push toward the nation’s top quarterback recruit hailing from LSU, Moore tried to pose an answer. The journey wasn’t a cakewalk. Underwood wouldn’t leave Baton Rouge if the check hadn’t done its job. The lofty 10 million is on a test.

Bryce Underwood can be the Saviour or a bust. A mediocre? Too hyped up of a man to sign up for that. Michigan legend Desmond Howard sees a massive silver lining amidst swirling doubts. The current Wolves sensation is all over the board this spring. While Moore didn’t mean to treat him specially, the entire universe seemed to be directing that way. The kid has been the most attentive to the practices so far. Davis Warren said his dedication and the cumulative urge to learn from the veterans are infectious. He’s a great kid wishing to bring it all for the team.

He turned heads at the Spring as well. The incoming freshman quarterback threw an 88-yard touchdown pass over the past weekend. Did he still look like a gamble, or the most strategic asset Moore has ever brought? ‘I couldn’t believe he’s 17, I think we’re in good hands. I think the future is bright.” Michigan alumna Desmond Howard gave you an answer on the Rich Eisen show.

“I think that I saw Bryce, too. I was up in Ann Arbor probably about a month or so ago, I watched him a little bit at practice. I mean, he’s a very big quarterback, strong, kind of looks like a man, not quite Cam Newton, but he’s in that mode size-wise.” Howard made a massive comparison to fuel the hope even more. “He can throw the ball, I mean. The ball just pops out of his hands, you understand now why he was the number one recruit in the country, and it’s just a matter of them molding him to what they need to use him for their offense,” the standout ESPN analyst put the ball on Moore”s court who he believe is an extra ordinary offensive mind.

But regardless of the sweet and sugar or popping negation, Underwood needs protection. A lack of passing attack, stockish play calling, consistent poor play, and a bunch of shattering decisions led them to an average of 8-5. So, they need to get their other offensive weapons in place to make it a feasible win. Moore knows that, but he’s not betting a dime on Underwood alone.

Sherrone Moore starts looking for alternatives to Bryce Underwood

The LSU transfer will fight off sophomore Hayden Davis and Nikey Jeene for the starting role. If everything goes as per the plan, Underwood is here for the long haul with enough eligibility left on his board. However, it seems Coach Moore doesn’t want to take a risk at all. There can be a couple of logics vouching for the crippling doubt. The first is a freshman QB pulling out a starting job is a rare case scenario.

The second one is even scarier. The Wolverines’ offense saw a low point right after their championship year. After Jim Harbaugh and J.J. McCarthy left the building, they were left directionless in the early games. So, Moore doesn’t want history to repeat itself. He saw, he felt, he lived the misery of overdependence in one single entity, especially in the QB room. Alex Orji and Davis Warren; nobody could save the year for them. This time, the head coach made no mistake. He’s keeping a strong eye on the portal and has found some pieces of luck as well.

Michigan has already found another quarterback in the 2026 recruiting class: Brady Smigiel, worth $450K ( NIL value) from Newberry Park (Calif.) High. The competition for this commitment came down to Smigiel and three-star signal-caller Nathan Bernhard. However, Moore finally bagged another win as he was able to earn Brady’s words. What does it mean? Can the QB get ahead of Underwood in some years? Well, the saga continues with a silent prayer: may the QB conundrum stay outta Moore’s way this time, no matter what.