Panic Strikes Bryce Underwood as Trouble Against 3,083-yds QB Confirmed After Michigan Remarks Turn Heads

The Wolverines were waiting for a messiah figure to get them back to their pedestal. And that’s what the 2025’s No.1 overall recruit and Michigan native Bryce Underwood is to them. After a $10 million plus NIL offer, the first big QB recruit of the Sherrone Moore era is here. The QB’s arrival in Ann Arbor is like a transcendent being descending upon the program from the heavens to lift the mood and perception in and around it. But make no mistake; Football is not a one-man sport. After all, what’s a lieutenant without potent weapons?

Here’s the thing: Michigan couldn’t fill its JJ McCarthy-shaped void. But even if they had a great QB, it only would’ve papered over the cracks spread throughout their offense; Especially out on the perimeter. The Wolverines’ receiving corps wasn’t exactly elite. Compare this to their arch-nemesis and current Natty holders, Ohio State, who irrefutably had the best WR room in the country and things don’t look that good. Now, both teams just onboarded new 5-star QBs. With the supporting cast included in the equation, is Bryce Underwood staring at a worse situation than Tavien St. Clair, a QB who had 3083 passing yards and 37 TDs in his junior year in high school?

Neither Underwood nor St. Clair is expected to be a starter as a true freshman. Assuming their time comes to shine under the limelight of their respective bluebloods in 2026, what’s the expected outcome? This is a premise explored by FOX’s RJ Young over his “The Number One College Football Show” platform. He stated:

“When you’re talking about Semaj Morgan [Wolverines], you’re not talking about wide receivers that move the needle, right? Whereas at Ohio State, Tavien St. Clair is coming in with Quincy Porter. That’s five-star wide receiver. Jeremiah Smith may be gone, right? By the time he gets out of there but actually no. It would be sophomore year. He’d get one year of Jeremiah Smith. To say nothing of Mylan Graham is right there.

“He will probably get an opportunity to throw some passes around to some guys that could start at Michigan and other places to create that kinship and when I see Tavien St. Clair, I see a guy that’s quite literally as raw as Bryce Underwood, got more or less the same measurables. In many respects it’s the same kind of quarterback. It’s what else do you have quarterback it’s what else do you have those things. Ohio State is a much more balanced offense than Michigan is. They can throw the ball for 300 yards, and if they want to, they can run the ball for 300 yards.”

For players as raw and malleable as these two, an environment conducive to growth, coaching, and ancillary pieces can dictate the trajectory of their careers. The Buckeyes have recruited and developed WRs at a better clip than any program in the country over recent seasons. The likes of Marvin Harrison Jr., Garrett Wilson, and now Jeremiah Smith himself are proponents of this. They’ve shown they can convert those 5-stars into high-end production.

If Underwood and St. Clair indeed sit behind Mikey Keene and Julian Sayin, respectively, for 2025 and begin their collegiate careers on the same timeline, it’ll be fascinating to see how things transpire. You never know—Sayin could be a resounding hit, and St. Clair may not even be in the program come 2026. As for Underwood, he’s perhaps got a little bit too much dip on his chip.

Top Comment by Stephanie M

Bryce is a kid. Sherrone Moore will make him a man.

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Bryce Underwood invites scrutiny with some bold comments

There’s a fine line between confidence and delusion. Athletes tread this line all the time and ever so often fall over into the trap of the latter. Bryce Underwood has probably been the best athlete on the field every time he’s stepped onto a gridiron in his life. That cultivates a certain confidence in your abilities as well as a certain cockiness. Now, the expectations are already pretty high from his collegiate career. But instead of tempering them, he’s ramping things up.

During an interview with Rich Eisen, Underwood was asked a rather loaded question; At least for someone who’s yet to play a CFB snap. Eisen asked him what he wanted his legacy to be in Ann Arbor. “A couple Heismans and at least one Natty,” replied Underwood. Bold and a little brash considering the program’s last Heisman Trophy winner came in 1997 (Charles Woodson). Additionally, Michigan last won a national championship in the 2023 season after they defeated Ohio State, Alabama, and Washington before claiming the title. Naturally, Underwood is catching flak for this statement.

Remember how Heisman winner Travis Hunter was criticized for saying his two-way role in football was much tougher than Shohei Ohtani’s in MLB? Then there is also Shedeur Sanders, who has been called ‘arrogant’ because of his confidence while talking to NFL teams during the Combine.

For a player like Bryce Underwood, who could well redshirt this upcoming season, these comments will reverberate for a very long time. They could come back to bite him. Given RJ Young’s fair rationale about how his weapons aren’t the greatest, it will be interesting to see him take over the team later. There’s massive pressure on Sherrone Moore and the Michigan brass to provide the requisite help he’ll need when he becomes QB1. The transfer portal becomes key in marginalizing the gap with Ryan Day’s Ohio State. What do you think?