Jake Butt’s list of five reasons Bryce Underwood could be headed for a breakout season has the right idea. The former Michigan tight end is making the case for the sophomore quarterback, and there’s plenty to like about the argument. But if you shuffle the order a bit, the picture gets even clearer.
Underwood enters this season with a year behind him, a new coaching staff in place, and a lot to prove after a freshman year that didn’t match the sky-high expectations attached to him. When he flipped from LSU to Michigan as the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2025, the hype machine went into overdrive. That comes with the territory when a 17-year-old arrives on campus and is asked to carry that kind of burden.
Butt’s original five reasons were these: Bryce Underwood’s age, the system and Michigan coaching staff, Bryce Underwood’s legs, Bryce Underwood is just talented, and Kyle Whittingham’s confidence in Bryce Underwood.
The talent piece is real, of course. Underwood was the top player in his class for a reason.
But talent is the starting point, not the separator. It’s the floor for what Michigan expects from him, not the thing that suddenly unlocks the breakout all by itself.
His running ability belongs higher on the list. Underwood finished last season with 392 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns, which looks modest next to the more than 600 rushing yards he put up in his senior high school season.
College football is a different world, but Underwood’s legs are still a major part of what makes him dangerous. Michigan didn’t always give him the chance to use that part of his game, and if he can be a legitimate runner, that element needs to show up more often.
The confidence around him matters too, especially the confidence Kyle Whittingham has shown all offseason. That belief goes beyond simply trusting Underwood to handle the position.
It also reflects faith that Michigan can build around what he does best as a dual-threat quarterback. That’s a meaningful shift from 2025.
Age sits near the top of the list as well. Another year makes a difference for any quarterback, and it matters even more for one who started so young.
Underwood’s experience now comes with a layer of maturity, and that matters too. He was unanimously voted a captain this season, which says plenty about where he stands inside the program.
Still, the biggest reason for optimism is the one Butt put at No. 2: the system and the coaching staff. That’s the real swing factor.
A quarterback can only do so much on his own, and this setup is built to lean into Underwood’s strengths instead of asking him to force things outside his comfort zone. Whittingham has made that clear, and offensive coordinator Jason Beck has as well.
Beck will be the one calling the plays, and that gives Underwood a chance to operate in a way that fits him.
There’s also one more factor that could matter just as much: the talent around him. Underwood has running back Jordan Marshall, who broke through after Justice Haynes’ injury, and wide receiver Andrew Marsh, a fellow freshman who found his footing last season.
Now he gets another year with both of them, plus wide receiver transfer J.J. Buchanan and five-star freshman running back Savion Hiter.
That’s a deeper, more varied group of weapons for him to work with.
All of it points to a season where Underwood will be under the microscope from the first snap. Michigan opens Sept. 5 against Western Michigan, and the spotlight will be bright. The hope is that this becomes the year Underwood breaks out for himself and gives Michigan the kind of jump it’s been waiting for.
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