At the moment, Michigan football does not have a starting quarterback. But everyone — at least outside of the program — has a pretty good feeling about who it will be.
Former five-star and No. 1 overall recruit in 2025, Bryce Underwood, got the bulk of the reps in spring ball. He has physical capability that cannot be taught. It may seem like a formality, but head coach Sherrone Moore says the Wolverines will still go through their paces, especially with Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene finally healthy.
While everyone waxes poetic about Underwood, perhaps the best compliments he could receive come from the defense he went up against in spring ball and the one he’s about to see in fall camp.
At Big Ten media days, senior linebacker Ernest Hausmann joined the chorus praising the true freshman, noting what he does when people aren’t looking and how that makes a difference.
“Bryce is as good as advertised,” Hausmann said. “But the thing that I’m really impressed about Bryce is the way he’s matured beyond his years. You would never know that he’s 17 years old coming into a college program, a five-star recruit, heavily recruited, has high expectations. You would never know that by looking at him, by talking to him at all.
“The quarterback position it’s completely open. We don’t know who’s going to be playing. We don’t know who’s going to be Week 1, Week 2, Week 3. It could all change, right? But I’m just very impressed at how he’s really carried himself as a person because he fit right in well with his quarterback room. Because the whole quarterback room, they love to work. They do so much work behind closed doors that people don’t even see — that I don’t even see. But I just know he’s a perfect fit for that. He’s going to continue to push that room, make that room better. I’m very excited to see what that room does this year.”
So, what stands out in particular to Hausmann? He shared an anecdote that shows just how mature Underwood is, even at 17 years of age.
“Like I said, it’s his preparation, right?” Hausmann said. “I remember one moment, I’m seeing him before practice, right? Most of the time, people are getting taped up, ready, but he’s out there walking through his plays by himself. And so it just goes to show how bought in, how he cares about his preparation.
“Like I said before, the whole quarterback room is so bought into preparation. They all do things like that that we don’t see behind the scenes, and it’s just so special. And as a defense, I can tell my whole defense. We can trust that. We can trust that room.”
The Michigan defense needs Underwood to work out just as much as the offense does. The offense was constantly stymied by subpar quarterback play in 2024, which meant that the defense had to work extra hard to get the ball back.
It didn’t always work out as planned.
By the end of the season, the defense was the unit getting the job done. Though the offense had some timely drives — particularly against Ohio State and Alabama — it just wasn’t the brand of complementary football that Michigan is accustomed to having.
But now, beyond even Underwood, Hausmann says there’s a trust that exists between the defense and the quarterbacks. But Underwood, in particular, has done enough to earn a seal of approval from Hausmann and company.
“It’s your daily actions that gain the trust of others, right? And he’s shown and he’s proven to us that he’s a high-level person beyond just football players, and that’s what we love about people,” Hausmann said. “If you’re a high-level person, we know what you’re going to be on the field. Because with someone, you want to know what you’re going to get out of the person on the field. You don’t ever want to ask or expect. With Bryce, you know what you can get out of him. He’s a high-level competitor. Like I said, he just fits that quarterback room perfectly well, and I’m excited to see who ends up being the quarterback.”
Fans will get their first opportunity to see Underwood in an actual college game on August 30 (even if he’s not the starter) when Michigan hosts New Mexico for the season opener.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Ernest Hausmann praises Underwood’s maturity for Michigan QB role