Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood is at the midway point of his freshman season, and there has been a combination of promising performances and typical struggles for a first-year signal player.
“He’s
played really well for a freshman,” Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey told the media on Wednesday. “I’ve been really pleased with the progress that he’s made from where he was when he first got here to now. There has been a big jump.”
Underwood has proven he can devastate defenses as a passer and runner — showcasing his playmaking ability en route to 1,210 passing yards, 177 rushing yards (fourth-most among Big Ten quarterbacks) and eight total touchdowns. We got a glimpse of his elite potential against Wisconsin when he threw for a career-high 270 yards, including a series of explosive down-field shots. He also racked up 340 total yards and three touchdowns against Central Michigan last month.
However, there is still plenty of room for improvement. Speaking to the media on Monday, Underwood emphasized the importance of executing better.
“Going into every game, my goal is just being more efficient and executing our play calls,” Underwood said. “I’m just doing whatever I can do for my team, no matter what the play call is, just to execute it in the best way possible.”
His biggest weakness so far have been inconsistent accuracy and efficiency. These things need to drastically get better in order for him to reach his potential, especially his accuracy, as his 59.7 completion percentage is currently second-last in the Big Ten.
That said, his composure and poise are far beyond his years — he never seems to get rattled. Underwood has remained cool, calm and collected during the moments where things aren’t going Michigan’s way. That poise has resulted in him making significant strides as a decision-maker.
Head coach Sherrone Moore also recently mentioned Underwood’s calm demeanor has stood out to him.
“He’s poised. You can see him get better and better,” Moore said. “He’s done a good job of making decisions and he’ll continue to do that. He’s just six games in, so we’ll help him, and he’ll continue to push himself to get even better.”
Even though he has a long way to go, it’s a positive sign Underwood is already such a polished decision-maker. He rarely puts the ball in harm’s way and knows when to take risks, which is a rare trait for a first-year starting quarterback. His offensive coordinator also detailed how Underwood wants to be an elite player, which will only make him better in time.
“The best thing about him is he wants to be really good,” Lindsey said. “He’s always trying to improve and get better. You see him in here all the time. It’s just a maturation process of him getting more comfortable at being a first-year starter.”
Underwood is tied for the least amount of interceptions (two) and sacks (seven) among true freshman starters this year. Even though he has taken some sacks, his head coach would rather have that than an interception.
“Sometimes he takes a sack but sacks are always better than a turnover,” Moore said. “He’s made some really good plays in the pocket that we didn’t think he would make. He has done a good job with that and he’ll just keep progressing.”
Underwood’s dynamic skillset and poised approach is extremely unique for a true freshman starting quarterback. If he can continue to progress in certain areas, he will become one of the nation’s premier players even sooner rather than later.
