Bryce Underwood was Michigan’s most prized possession after they plucked him away from LSU for $12 million. One year later, he was without his head coach. After Sherrone Moore’s firing and potential discontent with his development, new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin reportedly pursued him. In addition, LSU fans launched a widespread “come home” campaign on social media to bring him back. Now, he has finally opened up about that phase.
“Can you talk about that first meeting with Coach Wittingham, and did you know right then you weren’t going anywhere?” a reporter asked Underwood at the Big Ten Media Days. Despite the widespread speculations last year about Underwood’s future at Michigan, he denied those rumors outright.
“No matter what, my mind wasn’t on leaving or anything,” Underwood said. “But the first meeting with Coach Whittingham was just about leadership overall; that’s really all.”
The NCAA grants players a 15-day transfer window after a head coaching change. Several UM players, including QBs Jadyn Davis, Davis Warren, and Mikey Keene, used that window to switch camps. Semaj Morgan, Fredrick Moore, and Brady Prieskorn also took the opportunity to seek greener pastures. However, Bryce Underwood stayed put despite all the speculation to the contrary.
Underwood had every reason to leave Michigan. With Sherrone Moore, he didn’t have a dedicated QB coach, and many felt his development didn’t happen as expected. Former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu even took to X and pitched him to “come home,” saying that the LSU fans will accept him with “open arms.” The Tigers, with new head coach Lane Kiffin, also didn’t have a QB1 at the time. The speculation seemed almost true.
Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer called out Bryce Underwood’s stalled development, noting that the Ann Arbor team didn’t allow the QB to use his legs, and later in the season, his throwing mechanics were completely off. However, as soon as former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham arrived in Ann Arbor, his first task was to keep the UM QB1 at Michigan.
After the Citrus Bowl loss, Whittingham flew to Florida, met Underwood, and promised elite portal talent. Moreover, considering Jason Beck’s offense was 4th nationally last year, it took no time for Underwood to trust Kyle Whittingham and his OC, Beck’s, development.
“You know, it was pretty, pretty much let’s go,” Whittingham said about his approach to keep Underwood at Urban Meyer’s Triple Option podcast. At first, there was some “hesitation” from Bryce’s camp. But once he got to know his new coaches and their plans for him, everything fell perfectly in place. Finally, after a few days, Bryce announced his plans with Michigan. For Whittingham, Underwood’s commitment helped with recruiting and served as a stabilizing factor.
Now, Underwood is with the team and has progressed well throughout the offseason. There were some questions around his mechanics after the spring game. But Whittingham has promised to handle everything once fall camp rolls in.
