Forget About Arch, Bryce Underwood Is the Future of College Football

At the risk of living in hyperbole and making the same mistake we have made with so many young players, mistakes we are living through at present, one can't help but watch quarterback Bryce Underwood and be in complete and total awe.

Forget about what he does on Saturday against Nebraska. Don't scour box scores looking for decisive feedback, one way or another. In fact, take this year for what it is: a freshman season for an ultra-talented player playing with a rebuilt roster in a major conference.

Indeed, it's early. Very early. Too early to declare a quarterback who just turned 18 years old last month the future of college football.

This is also an unnecessary take to uncork because, oftentimes, these assertions prove to be wildly inaccurate. For immediate proof, behold how the 2025 has treated quarterbacks Arch Manning and DJ Lagway.

One was booed by his home crowd in Week 3. The other threw five interceptions. One could argue that no two players garnered more hype this offseason.

Recruiting stars, physical gifts and good ol' fashion buzz don't always translate into immediate success. But in the instance of Underwood, who possesses all these things, it would be shocking to see him ultimately become anything less than a superstar.

To that end, it's easy to see why he was the consensus top recruit in the country this past cycle. It's even easier to see why Michigan reportedly handed him a $10 million NIL offer, swaying his commitment from LSU to the Wolverines.

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Given just how poorly many of the nation's most hyped quarterbacks have played of late, never has the timing to make such a proclamation been so poor. But sometimes, even after only three games, the player and the flashes are so spectacular, one can't help but wonder just how spectacular he could become in time.

A year ago, at a similar moment in time, the same things were being uttered about wideout Jeremiah Smith. The true freshman flashed out of the gate for the Buckeyes, looking every bit like the best player at the position after only a few weeks.

Since then, Smith has only affirmed these judgements. His nine-catch, 153-yard, two-touchdown performance against Ohio this past weekend was nothing more than further confirmation.

He's no longer just the best wideout; that part is assumed. He might be the best overall player.

Now, projecting a wide receiver and a quarterback are far different tasks. In fact, there might not be a tougher assignment than projecting how a young player at the position will develop.

He is the exception. Plain and simple. 

The way he moves. The way he throws. The mechanics. The feel. The confidence. The size. The arm. If you were asked to buy stock in any quarterback nationally, he would be the answer.

Statistically speaking, Underwood's start has been ordinary. He's accounted for four touchdowns and thrown an interception in three games, completing 57 percent of his throws.

Against Central Michigan in Week, however, the Wolverines utilized him as a runner and saw immediate success. His nine carries accounted for 114 yards, which was a snapshot of what is to come.

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The flashes across these three games are why there should be optimism. At 6'4" and nearly 230 pounds, Underwood already possesses an NFL body and arm. Despite his size and power, his movements are still fluid.

If you were going to physically construct a quarterback from scratch, he would look a lot like those.

"Don't pump the brakes on Bryce Underwood, he's going to be fantastic," former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said following Michigan's loss to Oklahoma. "I love this player. His release, his everything looks fantastic.

All of his tools will need to be developed and refined, and this will take both time and patience. We're not particularly good at this part, and stories like these don't help.

The key will be allowing for hype and development to somehow coexist, which is not a luxury Manning enjoyed in his first year as a starter. Texas did its best to ease him in, having served as the backup for two seasons.

Despite Longhorns' best efforts, however, chaos has become the standard operating procedure. Starting the season ranked No. 1 in the nation didn't help, either.

The fact that Michigan began the year with a modest ranking and a largely reconstructed roster has cooled expectations. Underwood was not anticipated to carry the team out of the gate, and the expectations have remained largely sane.

Those expectations will evolve in the not-too-distant future, which is why playing him now—working in environments like the one he'll play in on Saturday—should pay enormous dividends moving forward.

He will struggle. He will lose again this year, perhaps as soon as this weekend. He will look like a true freshman at times. Even the good ones—the absolute very best ones—often do.

However, Underwood will also be brilliant. He will, at least in small doses, look like the best quarterback in the country.

Although we might feel reluctant to bestow hype on any player given what we've seen over the past month, especially at this position, there's no need to worry. College football's next superstar quarterback has arrived, whether we're ready to admit it now or not.