$2.9M-NIL valued Bryce Underwood underwhelms for Michigan during first half of spring showcase

Syndication: Detroit Free Press - Source: Imagn — $2.9M-NIL valued Bryce Underwood underwhelms for Michigan during first half of spring showcase - Image Source: Imagn

QB Bryce Underwood made his unofficial debut for the Michigan Wolverines in their spring game on Saturday. Underwood, who has an NIL Value of $2.9 million, is the No. 1-ranked recruit this season. As a result, he has high expectations to immediately come in and be one of the best QBs in the Big Ten.

However, based on his performance in the first half of the spring game, he might not be as ready as some scouts projected. Several insiders, including Anthony Broome and Brock Heilig, shared their insight into Underwood's performance in the first half of the spring game on Saturday. Anthony Broome was critical of Underwood's performance, but said you could see his talent.

"End of the first half: Blue 3, Maize 0 Bryce Underwood: 7 for 16, 52 yards and a pick. He's looked like a 17-year-old out there, not at all surprising considering split squads. But you can see the athleticism and arm talent. Lots to hone in though."

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Brock Heilig posted his unofficial stats for the first half, comparing Underwood to QB Jadyn Davis.

"My unofficial first-half quarterback stats: Bryce Underwood 7-16 52 yards 2 sacks 2 delay of games 1 INT Jadyn Davis 3-7 37 yards 2 sacks."

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Another insider and Ohio State alumnus shared his insight on the 'Official Ohio State DG' X account. He spoke about how Underwood made a terrible pass that led to an interception.

"Bryce Underwood throws INT on third down with 1:44 left in first half Right to the DB, terrible throw Blue leads 3-0 almost halftime."

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Bryce Underwood is in a three-way battle for the starting QB job in 2025

Bryce Underwood might not have had the best performance in the first half of the spring game on Saturday, but that does not mean he is eliminated from starting contention next season. Underwood is competing with Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene and redshirt freshman Jadyn Davis for the starting job.

Keene and Underwood are the two most likely candidates to win the starting job. Keene brings experience that neither Underwood nor Davis has. He was the starter at Fresno State the past two seasons, completing 277 of 393 passes for 2,892 yards and 18 TDs this past season.

Underwood is the most talented player in the group, unsurprisingly given his status as the No. 1-ranked player in his class. However, it would not be surprising to see him serve as backup and redshirt his true freshman season if the coaching staff does not think he is ready to start.

About the author

Alexander O'Reilly is a journalist at Sportskeeda from Kingston, Ontario with over seven years in the field at companies including SenShot, RVBlogger, Monarch Media, WordAgents, GSeC LLC, and IGC.

His favorite college team is Duke, and his favorite sporting memory was Duke winning March Madness in 2010. JJ Redick was Alex's favorite college player when he was young but more recently, Caleb Williams gets the nod. As the Chicago Bears are Alex's favorite NFL team, this was a perfect match.

Alex's proudest moment came when he was interviewed by a radio station in Ottawa on his opinion on recent moves by the Ottawa Senators, which gave him a confidence boost and the knowledge that he could succeed as a writer.

Aside from sports, Alex likes to spend his time playing games. He is also very passionate about running and strives to improve at the half and full marathon distances.

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Edited by Rajdeep Barman