'Mega-Talent' Bryce Underwood Hyped by Michigan's Whittingham, Wants to Make QB a 'Finished Product'

One year after Bryce Underwood arrived at Michigan as the No. 1 freshman recruit in the country, new head coach Kyle Wittingham is doing all he can to get the young quarterback to fulfill that potential.

After the start of spring practice on Tuesday, Wittingham told ESPN's Heather Dinich that Underwood is a "mega-talent" and it's the job of the coaching staff to make him a "finished product" so the Wolverines can get back to being a national title contender.

"It was very obvious that Bryce is a mega-talent," Whittingham said. "He's got so much ability, but he's raw—as you would expect an 18-year-old starting quarterback at a Power 4 school to be. He was not a completely finished product, and that's our job now to turn him into that."

Whittingham explained the importance of offensive coordinator Jason Beck and quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. to help Underwood with his development:

"It's kind of a tag team approach with those two. It's just polishing up some things with Bryce, footwork things, some throwing motion nuances, and obviously teaching the scheme. Fortunately—and it's one of the things that makes Jason such an outstanding coordinator, particularly in this day and age—he's got a very user-friendly offense with not a steep learning curve."

247Sports' composite rankings had Underwood atop the 2025 recruiting rankings, with Andrew Ivins' scouting report labeling him as a "potential franchise signal caller with the ideal blend of size, arm talent and athleticism."

Underwood committed to Michigan in November 2024, giving him an NIL deal worth a reported $12 million. His freshman year didn't immediately stand out, as he finished with 2,428 passing yards and 392 rushing yards. He accounted for 17 total touchdowns and nine interceptions in 13 games.

The Wolverines' staff underwent an overhaul in the offseason when Sherrone Moore was fired as head coach in December due to what the university said was "credible evidence" that he "engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member."

Michigan announced Whittingham, who had spent 21 seasons at Utah, as its new head football coach on Dec. 26. Underwood opted not to enter the transfer portal, staying in Ann Arbor for another season despite the coaching change.

The change also had very little impact on the Wolverines' 2026 recruiting class. They finished 12th in 247Sports' composite rankings, in addition to landing 17 players in the transfer portal.

Whittingham was very successful at Utah with a 177-88 overall record, including eight seasons with at least 10 wins. The offense ranked in the top 20 in FBS in points per game three times in the past five seasons.

Despite their offensive struggles last season, the Wolverines were able to finish 9-4. They didn't have a win over a team that ended the year in the AP Top 25 poll, including losing to Ohio State for the first time since 2019.

If Whittingham and his staff can get Underwood to play up to the level that was expected of him coming out of high school, it's not hard to envision a scenario in which they are in the mix for the College Football Playoff in 2026.