For most quarterbacks, stepping into Nebraska’s Lincoln Memorial Stadium as an 18-year-old true freshman would be a nightmare scenario. The noise, the stage, the pressure — it’s where confidence can crack. But Michigan’s Bryce Underwood proved he’s different.
On the Joel Klatt Show, Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt made it clear that the Wolverines’ rookie quarterback isn’t blinking under the bright lights.
“I think Bryce’s best trait so far is that he is clearly, clearly not overwhelmed by the stage,” Klatt said. “He is built for the moment. The environments, even on the road, I don’t feel like have totally rattled him.”
Through his first two true road tests — at Oklahoma and at Nebraska — Underwood hasn’t looked like a freshman. Klatt pointed out that Memorial Stadium is notoriously hostile for opposing quarterbacks, yet Underwood’s composure stood out.
“At Nebraska, I will tell you from experience, is a very difficult place to play for an opposing quarterback,” Klatt added. “And I felt like he handled it really well.”
From Thrower to Passer
That doesn’t mean the former five-star is a finished product. Klatt drew an important distinction in his breakdown: Underwood still has to learn the difference between being a thrower and being a passer.
Too often, Klatt said, Underwood relies on his arm talent — rifling every ball like a fastball instead of adjusting touch and tempo based on the situation.
“Now, what he’s going to learn and develop, here’s his next stage,” Klatt explained. “You’re not throwing the football, you’re passing the football. Two different things.”
Klatt compared it to shooting a basketball rather than throwing a baseball: every shot requires a different level of touch, just like every route requires a different pace and trajectory. Until Underwood learns to vary his throws in the short and intermediate game, defenses will continue to bait him into inefficiency.
Why Poise Matters Most Right Now
The encouraging part for Michigan is that Underwood doesn’t need to be perfect yet. With a run game that just bulldozed Nebraska for nearly 300 yards and averaged over eight yards per carry, the Wolverines can afford to let their freshman grow into the role.
What matters more is that the stage hasn’t sped him up. In a season where Michigan is angling for a Big Ten title push and a potential College Football Playoff berth, Underwood’s ability to stay composed in hostile territory may be the difference between surviving and contending.
Klatt sees the tools. The arm strength, the confidence, the fearlessness — those are already in place. What comes next is refinement.
And if Bryce Underwood’s first road tests are any indication, the Wolverines have found a quarterback who’s ready for the moment — and only scratching the surface of what he can become.