The Michigan Wolverines received their annual visit from the Big Ten Network to close out their fall camp preview series. Of course, their coverage featured a major storyline, including an inside look at freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood.
Michigan does not make practices open to the media, so this was the first public reaction to what Underwood has done on the field. With the likelihood that he is named the starter this week, all eyes were on the first-year signal-caller.
”[Underwood is a] huge part of the equation here from nearby Belleville High School, about 20 miles from here,” BTN host Dave Resine said on the special. “He joins Quinn Ewers, who started his career at Ohio State before going to Texas as the only two five-star QB commits in the Big Ten in the last 15 years to be ranked as the nation’s number one player. He was 50-4 as a starter in high school.
“Maybe that’s a good place to start with. It is fair to say he took the overwhelming majority of snaps with the ones [on Friday]. He is physically about as impressive a young man as you will see.
Revsine was joined on set by analyst Howard Griffith, who revealed it was the second time he had seen the Michigan quarterback perform this offseason.
”He was just as impressive today as he was in the spring,” Griffith said. “He’s a talented young man. And I think right now what we’re seeing is a guy that has all the attributes and all the physical skills to really be any elite quarterback. But we really won’t know until he steps out on the field, and that’s when we’ll actually know.
“But he has all the things and he does everything the right way. The arrow is pointing up, but he is immensely talented.”
Former Michigan tight end Jake Butt was also part of the coverage, giving a breakdown of Underwood’s skill set.
”He’s unbelievably gifted,” Butt said on BTN. “The ball jumps out of his hand with great velocity, but sometimes quarterbacks throw a hard ball and it’s hard to catch. He throws with great velocity, but it’s still a very catchable football.
“He can cover the entire field. There’s not a throw that Chip Lindsay’s gonna ask of him that he can’t make. But it’s really the mental side and just walking around… Max Bredesen pulled me aside and said, ‘How good is our quarterback right there? That guy doesn’t miss.’ So I think that says a lot, that he’s earned the belief of his teammates.
”But it’s not just Bryce. The wide receiver room should improve. The offensive line at this point should improve. Chip Lindsay, with his experience, should improve. So it’s all the other pieces around him that are going to unlock his potential.”
Revsine revealed that Underwood was the first-team starter in Michigan’s practice, which should not be a surprise to anyone.
”No doubt quarterback is going to get much of the attention, and especially when you have the number one recruit in the nation,” Revsine said. “It does seem like he’s going to be put in a position where he is going to have to play right away. Part of it is he’s really good and you want him to play. The other is Mikey Keene, who they brought in [the transfer portal], was a limited participant in practice today. I feel like all signs point toward Underwood being out there.”
Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey joined the show, weighing in on his freshman quarterback and his likely backup, sophomore Jadyn Davis.
”Bryce is pretty advanced for a high school guy coming in,” Lindsey said on BTN. “I would say knowledge-wise from the standpoint, fronts, coverages, protections and things, I think he had good coaching in high school. At the end of the day, the game’s faster and there’s obviously been a learning curve there.
“But I like the progress he’s making and Jadyn as well. He’s had a great, great training camp. think for us, we’re just focused on each and every day trying to get better and trying to improve and correct the mistakes we make.”
Michigan’s season opener against New Mexico is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 30, nationally televised via NBC.
