Bryce Underwood prediction may disappoint Michigan football fans wanting him at QB for Sherrone Moore

Zain Bando

Bryce Underwood prediction may disappoint Michigan football fans wanting him at QB for Sherrone Moore image

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bryce Underwood is still awaiting a decision as to whether he will become Michigan’s starting quarterback. 

Even if he does or doesn’t, one analyst suggests Underwood, a 5-star prospect, will grow and develop as time progresses even if wins don’t come right away.

“He’s gonna be really good eventually,” On3’s J.D. PicKell said. “When is he really good? Is it this year? It could be, but I think the thought that this guy’s gonna be the savior of Michigan football tomorrow and lead you to the National Championship, and he’s gonna win the Heisman Trophy, be a first team All-American… those things all may eventually happen in Ann Arbor.”

As much as PicKell trusts Underwood, he says Michigan fans should expect the freshman sensation to overcome various hurdles along the way.

“But can we just let it bake for a second?” PicKell asked. “Can we give it a little bit of runway? Can we let him start a couple of games before we say Bryce Underwood, you’re the reason why Michigan football is gonna go win the national title in 2025?”

Those questions are justified, especially considering Underwood is taking over an offense that was nearly unwatchable a season ago despite still winning eight games.

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“You check the box score after the game, double digits,” PicKll noted. “And that was still good enough. For you to beat two teams that have what I would call College Football Playoff caliber rosters. 

PicKell said beating the eventual national champion Buckeyes is only a sign the Wolverines are returning to national relevance.

“Ohio State turns out had a national title caliber roster,” PicKell said. “If [Michigan] can be that good with no quarterback play necessarily. How good could we be with a guy who’s got number one player in the country kind of tools coming outta high school? That’s the excitement. That’s the hype.”

For now, August, much less whether Underwood starts, can’t come soon enough. But it may not happen, and Wolverines fans should be mentally prepared

Zain Bando

Zain Bando is a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism. Over the years, Bando has written about various beats surrounding Illinois, Northwestern, and Kansas State Athletics but sticks to the Big Ten as his primary expertise. Outside of collegiate reporting, Bando covers MMA and boxing for MMA Knockout On Sports Illustrated and hosts/co-hosts two podcasts as part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network – Bando's Breakdowns and The MMA Outsiders, which air weekly on YouTube and are distributed on all podcast platforms Wednesday nights and Friday afternoons. Bando is a Chicago Suburban native and a member of the FWAA and USBWA, continuing to hone his professional skills as a sports journalist and media personality. Since June 2019, Bando's byline has been featured in numerous media outlets, including MSN, Yardbarker, Deadspin, FanSided, BJPenn.com, Bridge Media Network (Sports News Highlights), Mike Farrell Sports, Reuters, and more. When Bando is not writing, he binges on old UFC fights, spends time with family and friends, memorizes every Super Bowl, and manifests all the places he still has to travel to (even while bringing his laptop).