Michigan OC Says Bryce Underwood Could Be QB1: 'If He’s Ready to Go, He’ll Play'

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2025, could potentially be the Wolverines' starter as a true freshman.

"If he's ready to go, he'll play," new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey told reporters on Monday regarding Underwood. "If not, we'll have somebody else ready to play. But so far I love his approach. He's all business, man. He loves football. That's the most important thing. And he really wants to be the best player he can be. He wants people to push him. One of the things we've talked about was, 'Whatever your dreams are, your aspirations, they're gonna be mine. My goal is to help you reach those things. Whatever it takes.' And I think that's what his attitude is. He's a team-first guy."

If Underwood isn't quite ready to take center stage, however, Michigan also has Jadyn Davis and Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene available at quarterback. The Wolverines are expected to have a robust quarterback competition this spring and summer, though Lindsey said it's unlikely the team would decide on a starter after spring ball.

"I don't think that's probably realistic, just being honest. You'd love to know when you know. That's kind of the way I see it. And we don't have to know right now because we don't play until August," he told reporters. "... We'll keep pushing those guys and keep working them. And then at some point you make a decision. And then that guy, whoever we decide is going to play, he's got to play well. Because we know we've got a couple other guys that are ready."