Bryce Underwood coaches, Michigan football has bowl practice

On December 28, 2024By Littum

TAMPA, Fla. — There were no 70-yard throws or broken tackles, no live plays or contact during the media viewing portion of Michigan football’s ReliaQuest Bowl game practice Thursday morning. But one thing was clear even in limited time: Bryce Underwood has size and he can spin it.

No. 1 recruit in the nation in the class of 2025 and UM early enrollee joined the Wolverines for their first practice at Jesuit High School as the Wolverines (7-5) prepare for their final contest of the year against Alabama (9-3) in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Tuesday (noon , ESPN).

According to coaches and teammates, he is already assimilating into the environment.

“The biggest thing I would say about him is great spirit, great energy,” interim offensive coordinator Steve Casula said of UM’s newest QB. “He’s great. Great personality, funny. … He walks by my office in the morning, one of the first guys in the building. He’s been great.”

Underwood, who stands at the 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds he’s listed at, strolled onto the adjacent practice field next to Jesuit’s Alumni Field and, after running by Drew Henson — a Tampa resident who was also a top-rated QB recruit in the late 1990s — came to work in rotation with quarterbacks.

The dual-threat quarterback participated in all the individual drills with the rest of the room, which included starter Davis Warren, Alex Orji (who has already entered the transfer portal), true freshman Jadyn Davis (whose throwing motion looks night and day). different than this time last year, in a good way) and senior walk-on Anthony Arnou.

Underwood took his turn in the walkthrough, navigating around blue dummies — coaches pushed left and right as he tried to avoid them with his footwork while keeping his eyes upfield — before hitting receivers on short and intermediate throws.

The nation’s most coveted passer, who doesn’t turn 18 until August, looked completely at ease when it was his turn in line, even visibly laughing moments before taking a snap, executing his three-step drop, moving up in the pocket and ripped a dart to a receiver over the middle who told him “good ball, one-nine.”

“I think I saw (Davis Warren) say that — you’d never know (he’s the No. 1 recruit),” Casula said. “He fits into all of our other gap years in the best possible way. I mean that as a compliment. He’s been great.”

It’s not just the coaches who heap praise on the newest Wolverine.

Warren, who came to Ann Arbor with a completely different set of circumstances as a walk-on who had just survived a bout with leukemia, talked about the early steps he’s already seen Underwood take.

“He’s been great, wants to learn, wants to get better,” Warren said. “Obviously the college game is different. You have to adjust, a lot of things you have to do differently. I learned coming in, me and JJ (McCarthy) kind of worked through a lot of those things together.

“I know Bryce will have to do the same, but he’s come in with the right mindset, right mentality. He’s excited to be here every day and a passion to get better at football.”

Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia