Spring practice always brings its share of questions, but one of the biggest storylines surrounding Michigan this offseason is already clear.
In a recent CBS Sports piece breaking down the biggest spring questions facing each Big Ten team, Michigan’s outlook in 2026 may largely hinge on one central factor: whether new offensive coordinator Jason Beck can help sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood reach the next level.
Here’s what CBS Sports’ John Talty had to say:
New Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham made two crucial coordinator hires — he swiped
Jay Hill away from BYU and convinced Jason Beck to follow him to Ann Arbor. Beck is one of the fastest-rising offensive coordinators in the country and got the best out of 5-foot-11 Devon Dampier. If Beck can help sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood elevate another level, Michigan should be a bona fide playoff contender even with an especially arduous schedule. Underwood didn’t quite live up to his No. 1-recruit hype his first season, showing flashes at times but never progressing as much as expected. That was bad for 2025 but means there’s plenty of growth potential for Underwood to make a sophomore leap in 2026.
It’s a simple premise, but an important one. And the expectation is that Beck should reshape the Wolverines’ offense. That would especially be true if he can unlock Underwood’s full potential. That development is never guaranteed, but there are plenty of reasons to believe the pieces are in place.
Underwood’s freshman season featured flashes of brilliance along with the expected growing pains. He threw for more than 2,400 yards with 11 touchdowns while adding nearly 400 rushing yards, helping lead Michigan to a nine-win season. Those are solid numbers for a true freshman, even if they didn’t fully match the sky-high expectations that come with being the top recruit in the country.
That’s exactly why all eyes will be on his development this spring. Underwood already showed the traits that made him such a coveted prospect, like his arm talent, mobility and playmaking creativity. What he lacked at times was consistency, which is a normal hurdle for a freshman quarterback adjusting to the speed and complexity of Big Ten defenses.
Now he enters his sophomore year with experience under his belt and a completely revamped offensive staff around him.
Enter: Beck. Michigan’s new offensive coordinator arrives with a reputation as one of the fastest-rising play-callers in the sport. At multiple stops, his offenses have consistently elevated quarterback play, from developing dual-threat Taysom Hill at BYU to helping Brennan Armstrong throw for more than 4,400 yards at Virginia.
More recently, Beck engineered one of the most impressive offensive turnarounds in the country. At New Mexico, his offense averaged more than 480 yards per game and turned quarterback Devon Dampier into a dangerous dual-threat weapon. When Beck moved to Utah the following season, Dampier went with him and continued to thrive, throwing for nearly 2,500 yards and 24 touchdowns while adding 835 rushing yards and 10 more scores.
What made that success stand out was Beck’s flexibility. Rather than forcing Dampier into a rigid scheme, Beck built the offense around what his quarterback did best. The result was a balanced attack built on run-pass options, creative formations and quick decisions that allowed Dampier to play fast and confident.
Now imagine that philosophy paired with a quarterback who is widely viewed as a far more natural passer like Underwood. But along with him, Beck also inherits an offense with weapons like running back Jordan Marshall, wide receiver Andrew Marsh — who built up some real chemistry with Underwood near the end of 2025 — and a wave of new pass catchers in transfers Jaime Ffrench and JJ Buchanan, the latter of whom played for Beck and Whittingham last season at Utah.
The infrastructure is there for Michigan’s offense to take a significant step forward. And it might need to. The Wolverines face a challenging schedule in 2026, and with a ton of defensive roster turnover this offseason, the offense could be asked to shoulder a larger share of the load.
Which brings everything back to the same question. If Beck can do what he’s done everywhere else, and Underwood takes a sophomore leap, Michigan could suddenly be fielding one of the most explosive offenses the program has seen in years.
