It's early, and we expect the Bryce Underwood hype train to be loud this offseason.
That said, I spoke to four different types of sources in the last few days, and the theme was consistent. This includes a current player on defense who I would consider one of the best on the team, a former player who played wide receiver, a current staff member (not a position coach), and someone who is connected to the program via a third party.
Bryce is him. All of them have raved about his stature, the way he carries himself, the aura and leadership that already surrounds him, and his work ethic. On the field, the current player said they have done some 7-on-7 work and Underwood is already making throws he's never seen a QB at Michigan make before. This player played against McCarthy for multiple seasons. The team, the players, are blown away and drawn to him. Coaches are most impressed by his work ethic and is ability to consume information and implement it quickly.
My guess is that the Bryce hype will be at an all-time high coming out of the spring game. WE HAVE A LONG WAY to go, but if you asked me who is starting day 1 today, it's Bryce. Maybe we will hear more of it when spring camp gets into full swing, but you'd expect a lot of "there is going to be a competition, and he's going to have to earn it" talk. FWIW, the same sources said a lot of good things about Jadyn Davis. To the point, it feels like there is more of a battle between Davis and Keene for backup than between Keene and Underwood.
Again, this is all FYI, and you can consume it however you like. There are a lot of practices and a lot of work to be done before Bryce is named the starter. But I had to share what I was hearing because of how consistent the praise for him is across multiple types of sources.
That said, I spoke to four different types of sources in the last few days, and the theme was consistent. This includes a current player on defense who I would consider one of the best on the team, a former player who played wide receiver, a current staff member (not a position coach), and someone who is connected to the program via a third party.
Bryce is him. All of them have raved about his stature, the way he carries himself, the aura and leadership that already surrounds him, and his work ethic. On the field, the current player said they have done some 7-on-7 work and Underwood is already making throws he's never seen a QB at Michigan make before. This player played against McCarthy for multiple seasons. The team, the players, are blown away and drawn to him. Coaches are most impressed by his work ethic and is ability to consume information and implement it quickly.
My guess is that the Bryce hype will be at an all-time high coming out of the spring game. WE HAVE A LONG WAY to go, but if you asked me who is starting day 1 today, it's Bryce. Maybe we will hear more of it when spring camp gets into full swing, but you'd expect a lot of "there is going to be a competition, and he's going to have to earn it" talk. FWIW, the same sources said a lot of good things about Jadyn Davis. To the point, it feels like there is more of a battle between Davis and Keene for backup than between Keene and Underwood.
Again, this is all FYI, and you can consume it however you like. There are a lot of practices and a lot of work to be done before Bryce is named the starter. But I had to share what I was hearing because of how consistent the praise for him is across multiple types of sources.
