CHICAGO -- Bryce Underwood has been outspoken about his hopes, dreams, and his talents. And sometimes, that's rubbed people the wrong way.
The former No. 1 overall recruit in the country has said he plans to win multiple national championships and a Heisman Trophy -- and that was before he ever even took a true college snap. He also told Big Ten Network last offseason, 'Nobody's seen a freshman like me.' So, when he had a bit of an up-and-down year, it rankled a lot of feathers -- both within and outside of the Michigan football fan base.
And then, after getting national criticism in the wake of former NFL star Eric Weddle's comments that he will be benched in favor of a backup, Underwood appeared at his own youth football camp and proclaimed
that he would be the best player out of Michigan.
Many questioned what that meant. Was it the best recruit out of Michigan? Best football player from the University of Michigan? Either way, those are lofty shoes, especially considering former Detroit (Mich.) King star Dante Moore is one of the Heisman Trophy frontrunners and thought to be the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL draft coming out of Oregon.
Still, Underwood clarified that he meant recruit from the state, and his confidence comes from having played against Moore and other top talent in high school.
"That's native of Michigan," Underwood said. "Overall, I competed with some of the best guys from Michigan. Like Dante Moore, a couple guys that came out of the state of Michigan. My goal is to be the best no matter what.
"So, yeah, that's out of Michigan."
In fairness to him, Moore spoke to WolverinesWire on Wednesday and spoke about how special a talent Underwood is in his estimation. Even still, he's going to have to prove it on the field.
But given that Underwood has talked a lot and hasn't backed up the talk just yet, does he regret anything he's said thus far?
"No," Underwood said. "I don't regret nothing I said."
With that, he's going to have to back up everything he said, starting with the September 5 season opener against Western Michigan at The Big House.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Bryce Underwood stands by his bold claims
