Jordan Palmer knows quarterbacks. The private QB coach has worked with some of the best in the nation, primarily at the NFL level, but also with some who are in college. And that's who Michigan football QB Bryce Underwood tabbed to work with this offseason, in concert with Koy Detmer Jr. and Jason Beck.
Palmer released a video detailing and talking about his work with the second-year Wolverines signal caller, and he shared some thoughts about what he saw from Underwood last year when he went back to watch the tape, as well as his belief that Underwood is going to improve greatly as soon as this season.
"I thought he actually played pretty well given the environment he was in and the circumstances," Palmer said. "And so with the staff and dealing
with some failure for the first time, dealing with negativity in the media for the first time, it's just been such a fun time to be able to come alongside him and help him navigate becoming a marquee college player down the road, become an NFL player, become a face of a franchise.
"But right now at 18 years old, it's as close as it gets to being the face of an NFL franchise. Michigan's as big a brand as any team in the NFL. And so there's so many facets to go into it. And I think the thing that I am taking away outside of just the physical gifts that he has, which are maybe second to none -- strong statement -- is the buy-in, the attention to detail, the relentless pursuit of getting better at simple, boring things and doing the mundane things over and over again. I have been blown away with his work ethic and buy-in at that age. I just can't think of another 18-year-old in that situation where I would say has handled it like the way that Bryce has.
"So that plus physical gifts, plus a lot of upgrades in the organization across the board, both in the huddle and in the staff meeting rooms, I'm bullish on what Bryce can do this year and the trajectory that his career is on right now."
One of the more interesting takes this offseason from analysts and fans alike has been to look at Underwood's body of work just this last year and declare him a finished product. Not only does that tend not to jibe with college quarterback development, but even NFL QBs tend to see improvement over time.
Palmer points to one of his clients, NFL standout Josh Allen, and noted that he at Wyoming was nowhere near what he's become playing for the Bills.
"At 18 years old, anybody who thinks that Josh Allen looked like that at 18 is tripping," Palmer said. "That's not what he looked like at 18. And any of these famous guys playing today, there's some famous guys playing on Sundays who don't look like that now."
Either way, Palmer has a lot of confidence in Underwood's trajectory. He's seen the physical attributes, the work he's put in, the improvement, and all. And when you pair that with Kyle Whittingham -- who Palmer has had some overlap with in the past -- he knows that this isn't an experiment as much as it's a marriage that should absolutely work out.
"I know what Michigan's getting with the staff from previous experience, more so than with the Michigan people who've been there are learning now, but I've seen it on the other end," Palmer said. "The built, finished product that Kyle built at Utah, I've experienced that. I spent years there. Now seeing what was possible, and I don't know.I think this is a very interesting time to be a Michigan fan."
Fans will get a chance to see Underwood in action on Saturday, when Michigan football hosts Western Michigan at The Big House.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Jordan Palmer explains why Bryce Underwood is poised for breakout
