He hasn’t even played a real snap of college football just yet, or even named the starter, but CBS Sports already has Bryce Underwood among the Big Ten’s best.
Great things are expected for the former five-star and No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class. So much so that Underwood is thought to be a shoo-in for the starting quarterback job, even though head coach Sherrone Moore has said that decision has not yet been made. And even though Underwood could be a shell of his potential, consistent, standard play would help the Wolverines out greatly, considering the quarterback quandary of last year.
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Still, CBS Sports ranked all 18 Big Ten quarterbacks, and Underwood came in above the middle of the pack, despite having only the spring game and practice as his college experience thus far.
8. Bryce Underwood, Michigan
It would be impossible for Michigan’s quarterback play to be worse than it was last season. Considering Underwood draws comparisons to Cam Newton and Vince Young, the Wolverines might be right there with Iowa in terms of who in the Big Ten upgraded most at QB. Even the most highly touted true freshman quarterbacks take their lumps, though, and it would be unwise to expect Underwood to be anything close to a finished product out of the gate. If this were an upside ranking, he would be No. 1, but there will be potholes to navigate in 2025.
If he does start, as expected, it will be interesting to see just how much Michigan feels comfortable unleashing him. Much of that is on Underwood being a quick study, and while he’s gone up against an NFL-style defense coached by Wink Martindale in practice, there are other sharp defensive minds with schemes of their own that will work to confuse and perplex him throughout the year.
But it’s also not a given that he does struggle, even if that hesitancy has been the working theory. Michigan does face some tough teams, but if the run game is able to bear the load (which would be very Michigan), then Underwood might not be asked to do that much just yet — which could help mitigate major errors while building consistency.
Just ahead of Underwood is another phenom quarterback in last year’s wunderkind recruit, Dylan Raiola of Nebraska. What is interesting is that Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (who appeared in four games and had 27 snaps) is ranked No. 2, even though his statline was 4-for-12 for 84 yards and one touchdown — so his ranking seems, not unlike Underwood, feels like a bit of a projection.
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Fall camp is set to begin for the Wolverines on Wednesday, while the season opener will take place on August 30.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: CBS Sports ranks Underwood among Big Ten’s top QBs before debut
