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Michigan is handing the keys to five-star freshman Bryce Underwood, who’ll start at quarterback in the Wolverines’ season opener against New Mexico on August 30, according to sources who spoke with CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. The team plans to make it official with an announcement Monday.
Ever since Michigan flipped Underwood from LSU last November, fans have wondered when—not if—the freshman phenom would take over. Turns out, he won’t have to wait at all.
Underwood will become just the fourth true freshman QB to start a Michigan opener and the first since Tate Forcier did it back in 2009. The hometown kid from Belleville beat out Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene and last year’s passing leader Davis Warren for the starting job.
| QB | Season | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rick Leach | 1975 | Wisconsin | W 23-6 |
| Chad Henne | 2004 | Miami (OH) | W 43-10 |
| Tate Forcier | 2009 | Western Michigan | W 31-7 |
| Bryce Underwood | 2025 | New Mexico | TBD |
Unlike recent top QB recruits who sat and learned — guys like DJ Lagway, Arch Manning, and Drew Allar — Underwood’s getting thrown right into the fire. But that’s nothing new for him.
Hometown Hero Ready for the Big Stage
The 6-foot-4, 228-pound freshman is built differently. He’s got the size of a linebacker with the arm of a pro and the athleticism to make defenders miss. 247Sports scouting director Andrew Ivins calls him a prospect with “the ideal blend of size, arm talent and athleticism.”
Underwood’s been here before. He took over as the starter at Belleville High as a freshman and promptly led the program on a ridiculous 38-game winning streak, including the school’s first-ever perfect season in 2022.
Michigan’s passing game couldn’t possibly get worse. The Wolverines ranked 130th out of 134 FBS teams last year, averaging a pathetic 129 yards through the air per game. Only the three service academies — teams that barely throw the ball by design — were worse.
This wasn’t exactly a no-brainer decision for Sherrone Moore’s staff. Keene committed in December after throwing for nearly 6,000 yards and 42 touchdowns over two seasons at Fresno State. Warren also showed some flashes last year, going 3-0 as a starter including wins over Ohio State and Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
But let’s be real — when you reportedly invest $10 million in an NIL package for a freshman QB who draws comparisons to Cam Newton and Vince Young, you’re not bringing him to Ann Arbor to hold a clipboard.
Even before fall camp officially started, Underwood was turning heads in summer workouts. That momentum never slowed down.
Freshman Growing Pains Ahead?
Recent history tells us there will be bumps in the road. Just look at Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola last season — the five-star freshman started hot but struggled down the stretch, throwing 11 interceptions as the Cornhuskers lost five of their last six regular-season games. UCLA’s Dante Moore couldn’t even hold onto his starting job midway through last season.
The difference? Underwood’s supporting cast.
Michigan’s defense should be elite again in 2025, and Moore has restocked the offensive skill positions through the transfer portal. Former Alabama running back Justice Haynes — the top-ranked transfer RB this cycle — gives Underwood a reliable safety valve in the backfield.
The schedule also breaks nicely for a freshman quarterback. Michigan avoids Big Ten heavyweights Penn State and Oregon entirely, and doesn’t face Ohio State until the final week of the regular season.
Underwood gets to ease in against New Mexico, picked to finish 11th in the Mountain West under first-year coach Jason Eck. Then comes the real test — a Week 2 trip to Norman to face Oklahoma.
After hosting Central Michigan in Week 3, Underwood and the Wolverines open Big Ten play at Nebraska in a CBS showcase game.
