Michigan is sticking with Bryce Underwood at quarterback after Saturday’s 13-12 win over Western Michigan, but the leash is clearly not being treated like a long-term guarantee.
First-year Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham made that much plain Monday. He wouldn’t go so far as to say Underwood has locked up the job for the rest of the season, even after the Wolverines escaped with a win that exposed plenty of offensive issues.
"He's our quarterback right now. It's not something that's infinite," Whittingham said Monday.
"We need to see improvement with a bunch of stuff… it's not just Bryce's job that's set in concrete. Nobody's job is."
Underwood’s opener was rough. He finished with a 52.9 QBR, near the bottom of Big Ten starters in Week 1, and went 12-for-22 for 170 yards with an interception. His only touchdown came on a Hail Mary completion after another second was added to the clock at the end of the fourth quarter.
The tape was littered with problems: a couple of overthrows, some timing issues, and a third-down throw in the first half that fell short of its target on a screen pass. Michigan is installing a new offense this season under former Utah play-caller Jason Beck, who picked Underwood over Tommy Carr in fall camp.
Carr, a freshman, had shown command of the playbook in Michigan’s final spring scrimmage, though he didn’t get any first-team reps during camp last month.
That’s part of why the staff was so upbeat about Underwood during fall camp, especially after his quiet spring game was dismissed as the product of a vanilla plan and constant two-high coverages.
On Saturday, though, the frustration was obvious. At one point during another failed third-down sequence, Whittingham squeezed his eyes shut after an Underwood incompletion. Michigan, favored heavily in the game, never found a real rhythm on the ground or through the air.
"I don't have a great explanation on that other than I hope we see improvement Week 1 to Week 2," Whittingham said on Underwood's lack of execution against Western Michigan.
Underwood arrived as the former No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class and signed a contract out of high school that pays him around $3.2 million this season as a sophomore.
The next test could be even harsher. Oklahoma comes to Ann Arbor this week, and the Sooners already showed last season how uncomfortable they can make Michigan look. In Norman, they stacked the box and forced the Wolverines to throw with their then-freshman quarterback.
Beck’s offense depends on quick reads and sharp accuracy, and Underwood has work to do in both areas. Oklahoma opened with a shutout of UTEP, giving up only 198 total yards, forcing two turnovers and holding the Miners to 2-of-13 on third down.
Michigan’s own opener wasn’t much cleaner. The Wolverines managed just 12 first downs and 276 yards against Western Michigan, coughed up the ball three times and were doubled up in time of possession.
If the offense starts slowly again, Carr could be the next option. The former four-star signee may get a look sooner rather than later if Michigan needs a spark.
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