Bryce Underwood seems to be the most compelling off-season story in Ann Arbor. Last year, when Sherrone Moore swooped in as the top No. 1 overall of the 2025 recruiting class, it came as a jackpot. The LSU commit was reluctant to join Moore’s program until the final moments. Thanks to the Michigan in-state boosters that filled in the NIL deal with a whopping $10 million that was hard to pass over for Bryce. But that’s a partial victory for Moore. Sure, the name Bruce Underwood added an elite layer to his program. However, until it achieves significant success on the scoreboard, it remains a risky endeavor. Greg McElroy heightens the uncertainty by revealing a significant offensive line weakness.
Michigan’s offensive line needs to be in sync with their top-tier quarterback this year. As long as the offensive line keeps safeguarding the QB phenom, the Wolverines will be in a good place to throw more balls than last season. UM wideout Donaven McCulley has revealed that the team plans to throw the ball downfield more effectively than before.
“I actually like Michigan this year quite a bit. Now, I think there are positions of concern, but I do think that there’s a chance that Michigan could be one of those quiet teams going into next year that might actually overachieve. But in order to reach their potential, they might end up with a true freshman quarterback, that’s all-world. But it’s hard for a true freshman quarterback to be at his best if the offensive line isn’t playing great,” the ESPN journalist dished a piece of advice for Moore and the staff.
All the big-money hustle for Underwood didn’t deserve a super chill head coach who’s not constantly scratching his head over how to make the best out of his $10 million snag. Hopefully, the former offensive line coach knows the details. He needs some big spring portal calls on priority. There’s a lot of inexperience heading into 25 that would keep him up at night.
McElroy puts the O-line on notice, saying, “When knowing that I have a young offensive line and potentially a young quarterback, that combination is not one that would have me sleep really soundly. If I were sitting there as a member of the Michigan coaching staff, I also think it’d be beneficial to add a piece or two at wide receiver.” Guys like Fredrick Moore and Kendrick Bell have many ingredients. They just haven’t put it all together yet. Andrew Marsh and Jamar Browder have also received some great off-season hype heading into this spring. But again, all these names stopped at a single word — potential. Not beyond that line.
McCulley seemed to be a big cornerstone for the offense. But diving deeper into the spring game, his passing game shattered the hope. McElroy can no longer trust him with Bryce Underwood’s responsibility. Someone needs to come up and take the reins. “You got Semaj Morgan, you got Fredrick Moore. I’m hoping that Morgan and Moore take a step, but I don’t know for sure. So, having a productive, wide receiver, a proven wide receiver, for Chip Lindsey, the new offensive coordinator, would be huge for Michigan,” the former Alabama mogul summed up the solution.
But wait, before assuming the receiver corps backup, you’d better know Coach Moore’s headspace on the Bryce Underwood hype.
Sherrone Moore didn’t pour all the attention on Bruce Underwood
Underwood is gaining traction as the likely starter for the Wolverines this season, with Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene having been on the shelf with an injury this spring. But Underwood seems to be oddly cold on all the Underwood buzz. He treats him and talks about him like just another newbie in the roster and nothing else. During the last spring practice, Underwood said with a straight face, “On the offensive side of the ball, both quarterbacks have been good. Jadyn Davis, Bryce Underwood… Mikey Keene‘s been working through something.”
Is it really trying to play an underdog with Underwood, or is he really that stoic about his $10 million asset in the QB room? You can’t dig this unless and until the regular season shows up. Moore added that it’s really hard for him to shed light on one guy, but rather, he likes to address them collectively to get the whole team on the mark. However, one quality that made the former LSU guy an absolute standout in his brief interactions with the team is his inquisitiveness.
A few months back, when Moore hit the Michigan practice for the first time, Davis Warren praised his knack for learning and asking a lot of questions. Moore reflected the same feedback: “He is really addicted to football. Sometimes, you’ve got to tell him ‘Dude, like, you need to get some sleep.’ Moore exposed the biggest Underwood addition in the field. It’s all in all sports, nothing above and nothing below. It will be fascinating to see how the QB translates his high school talent to the Wolverines’ playoff dream in 2025 with an apt O-line rooting behin himd.
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