RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The biggest question surrounding Michigan football this offseason has to do with quarterback Bryce Underwood, as he enters his second year.
The former No. 1 overall recruit didn't exactly have a solid showing in the annual spring game, leading to concerns about his viability. Yet, everyone within the program has been singing Underwood's praises, especially in fall camp.
The best praise one can get doesn't come from the coaches as much as a player's peers. And when the peers on the other side of the ball are effusive in such, then it tends to portend good things to come.
"I feel like he got more comfortable, especially in the new scheme, and the wide receivers that we got, so he's building a connection," senior cornerback Jyaire Hill said. "I feel like they all working as one. And boy, he turned into a demon for sure, and looking real good."
If Underwood truly has turned a corner, that would likely upend just about every national prediction of where the Wolverines are. They've tended to rank in the teens, with little expectation that they'll finish there given the bear of a schedule.
But the thing for Underwood isn't platitudes, like being called 'a demon' -- he's gotten similar praise before. It's about his technique and fundamentals being honed in. And those often went out the window last year when either the protection had broken down or he had perceived that it had. But head coach Kyle Whittingham had noted that the pass protection was among the things that had improved the most from spring to now, and junior right tackle Andrew Sprague says that Underwood is trusting what's in front of him that much more.
"Yeah, he's doing great," Sprague said. "Stepping up in the pocket, staying in there, setting his feet, he's been launching it, so he looks great."
Sophomore wide receiver Jaime Ffrench's job depends heavily on Underwood's improvement, as he'll be the quarterback throwing to the Texas transfer. Ffrench was catching passes at this time last year from another former No. 1 overall recruit in Arch Manning, who took some time in his sophomore campaign to get going before he started to look like the ballyhooed player he finished the season as.
Ffrench sees similarities between both of them, but given that Underwood perhaps had more time on task in his first year, the learning curve may be lessened.
"For one, I'll start off by saying how the way they both approach the game," Ffrench said. "Two great quarterbacks, their approach to the game at a very high level. So definitely see the same type of traits for sure, yeah."
Given that Michigan plays against Oklahoma, Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State this season, the Wolverines will need Underwood to win some games with his arm, even if the run game is as elite as advertised. It all starts on September 5 when the maize and blue host Western Michigan at The Big House.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan QB Bryce Underwood 'turned into a demon,' teammate says
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