Kyle Whittingham and the Michigan coaching staff made what most people agree to be the right choice last Saturday by benching Bryce Underwood at halftime against Penn State. Tommy Carr stepped in for the second half and the offense looked rejuvenated. However, Underwood played the part of a team captain well on the sidelines by continually praising his teammates, supporting Carr, and remaining engaged in all facets of the game.
With Whittingham still singing Bryce’s praises, today we want to hear your thoughts on whether or not we’ve seen the last of Bryce Underwood at quarterback at Michigan.
To some, this may be a simple answer. However, I think it’s more nuanced than it appears.
In this modern, NIL-fueled era of college football that we find ourselves in, Underwood is arguably the most notable quarterback to be benched. It can’t be easy to bench your multi-million dollar quarterback when boosters had to shell out large amounts of cash for his services. Bryce’s benching could have long-lasting impacts on not only Michigan’s program, but the entire college football world. I wouldn’t be surprised to see certain blue-bloods abandon the concept of high school recruitment and only poach known quantities from the transfer portal.
Similarly, it feels as though the market may be reaching it’s breaking point when it comes to paying 18-year olds. Schools such as Michigan could be more hesitant moving forward to give out such lucrative deals to unproven players. I would be somewhat surprised to see any high school quarterback recruit sign as hefty a contract as Underwood did moving forward, as the bust rate of five-star quarterbacks seems to be climbing higher and higher in recent years.
As for the on-field implications, Bryce Underwood is clearly Michigan’s primary back-up quarterback now. Given Tommy Carr’s slight build and stature, Underwood is just one play away from being back on the field. Time and time again, we’ve seen players in college football get benched and hop into the transfer portal by the end of the day. It would have been easy for Underwood to emotionally check out on the team and save his health for a new program next year. While transferring at the end of the season is still certainly a possibility, nothing has been announced as of yet and Bryce seemed fully engaged on the bench against Penn State.
Should Carr struggle against Indiana (which is admittedly very plausible), I would not be shocked to see the coaching staff give Underwood another chance. Having been humbled by the benching and having significantly less pressure on him now, there’s a world where Bryce takes over for Tommy Carr based on merit alone. The coaching staff repeatedly expressed throughout the week that they love Underwood as a person and as a player.
The last factor in this conversation has to be the possibility of both Carr and Underwood seeing the field at the same time. Whittingham did so often in his 20+ year tenure in Utah. A player of Underwood’s build could be used out of the back field or even at receiver/tight end. It would also open up a significant amount of gadget plays that offensive coordinator Jason Beck seems prone to do.
To summarize my thoughts, I was very much in agreement that Carr needed to step in for Underwood against Penn State. However, I don’t think Bryce is done at Michigan just yet.
If the over/under on Bryce’s total remaining snaps at quarterback in a winged helmet was set at 0.5, I would be hammering the over.
We want to hear your opinions on the subject: Do you think Underwood gets on the field at the same time as Tommy Carr? Is it possible that Carr struggles as true freshmen are prone to do and Underwood returns as quarterback? If Carr were to get hurt, would you expect Bryce to be the first quarterback in for him?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.