Heading into one of the most highly anticipated debuts in recent memory, freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood was officially declared the starter for the season opener by Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore on Monday morning.
“Bryce Underwood will be our starting quarterback,” Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore told the media on Monday. “He’s earned the opportunity and it was not given to him. He really became a leader on the team. He’s still only 18-years-old so he’s going to make mistakes but that’s
what we’re here for. We’re all on this journey together but he earned the job.”
Underwood — who was the No. 1 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class — will become just the fourth true freshman in the history of the program to start a season opener at quarterback, joining Rick Leach (1975), Chad Henne (2004) and Tate Forcier (2009).
Leach and Henne went on to have record-breaking careers and become two of the best Michigan quarterbacks of all time, while Forcier flashed potential as a freshman before losing his starting spot the following year and eventually transferring. Underwood’s story is just beginning, but he’s already poised to add to that list of three former Michigan freshmen quarterbacks.
The 6-foot-4, 228-pounder is no stranger to being thrust into the spotlight. He was named the starting quarterback ahead of his freshman season at Belleville High School in 2021 and never looked back from that point on. He led Belleville to back-to-back state titles and became the most decorated player in Michigan high school football history.
Now, he is set to lead a Michigan offense that is in desperate need of a spark after a turbulent 2024 campaign that included a glaring weakness at quarterback. Most true freshmen don’t start, specifically at quarterback, but Underwood was viewed highly as a recruit for a reason, and he seems confident to take charge of the offense.
“They have seen a lot of freshmen but I feel like nobody’s seen a freshman like me,” Underwood told Big Ten Network last week. “I want to do whatever it takes to get my team to where they want to be, which is the Cational Championship, and beating Ohio State is one of the other things as well. However I can prepare my team like that is what I want to do.”
Underwood brings a dynamic combination of arm talent, athleticism, speed and strength that has already turned heads from his coaches and teammates in his short time in Ann Arbor. In addition to the physical traits that make him a great prospect, he has been described as “mature beyond his years” and appears ready to lead the team at just 18 years old.
“For a young guy, he’s very mature. He just does things the right way, uses his skills and never tries to do too much,” Moore said. “I think within the game plan, we’re always going to try to make sure to do whatever it is we need to win, that’s what we’re going to do. He’s a confident guy, but he’s as humble and as hard-working as anybody you’ve ever been around.”
While his predecessors offered mixed legacies — Leach and Henne became Michigan greats while Forcier showed early promise before fading — Underwood is primed to forge a legacy of his own, and it all starts on Saturday. All eyes will be on him when Michigan kicks off the season, and he seems more than prepared for the moment.
