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The Michigan Wolverines have taken a monumental step by securing five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class. Underwood is known for his exceptional arm strength and playmaking prowess and his arrival signals a potential shift in Michigan's offensive philosophy.
Analysts are calling for a departure from the Wolverines' traditionally conservative play-calling to maximize his talent. On Thursday, college football analyst JD Pickell underscored the need for Michigan to embrace a more dynamic and aggressive offensive approach.
"I don't think you were going to have Bryce Underwood under center in the power eye and say, 'Let's go ahead and run 34 whams 17 times a game and have that be our attack here,'" he said (via On3). "It wasn't going to be the case. You spread it out, you open it up, you let Bryce Underwood be special. You go get him some weapons and you play a high octane fun style of offense." (1:10)
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Pickell highlighted Michigan's physical, run-heavy identity under Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore, commending its effectiveness but stressing the mismatch with Underwood's skillset.
"You're not maximizing the Ferrari of a quarterback you have if that's your approach. Bryce Underwood is a tremendous passer, also a free show athlete, so there's that part of this. Going back to Chip Lindsey, he has a quarterback pedigree coaching guys like Jarrett Stidham when he was at Auburn, coaching Drake Maye who was a top three pick in last year's draft."
Adding Lindsey as Michigan's new offensive coordinator offers hope for aligning the team's system with Underwood's strengths.
Bryce Underwood brings stability and promise to Wolverines' future
Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 ESPN 300 rankings, flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan on Nov. 22.
Underwood, who received the Michigan High School Player of the Year award on Friday, has been a dominant force since his freshman year. He burst onto the scene in 2021 by throwing for 2,888 yards and 39 touchdowns, leading Belleville High School to its first of three consecutive state title game appearances.
Speaking about Michigan football's future, JD Pickell emphasized the program's commitment to maintaining its trademark toughness,
"In addition to keeping, I believe, what Michigan ultimately still wants to be and will always want to be, regardless of who's that quarterback, regardless of who's the head coach, they'll want to be tough," Pickell said. ... "Now at North Carolina a year ago, even with, you know, the spread concepts and what Chip Lindsey did, they averaged 176 yards on the ground. That's punch you in the face football. That's Michigan football." (2:00)
Underwood’s commitment brings much-needed stability to Michigan's quarterback situation following a turbulent 2024 season. The Wolverines, who struggled to replace J.J. McCarthy, experimented with several quarterbacks in a disappointing 5-5 start.
