ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Max Bredeson and Bryce Underwood were quarterback prospects in the same way that Sizzler and the Chop House are both steakhouses.
It is no slight to Bredeson, a high school quarterback and former preferred walk-on, to say that his talents are best utilized in his current role as Michigan’s fullback and enforcer. Though Bredeson had none of the high school hype that accompanied Underwood’s arrival at Michigan, he has a lot to offer as a two-time team captain for the winningest program in college football history. Putting the wunderkind and the old-school grinder in the same hotel room during preseason camp was Michigan’s way of teaching Underwood the ropes.
Actually, rooming with Underwood was Bredeson’s idea. He pitched it to coach Sherrone Moore, who quickly signed off. A month in close quarters is long enough to learn another person’s annoying habits, and Bredeson had nothing but positive things to say about Michigan’s newly minted starting quarterback.
“Great roommate,” Bredeson said. “You kind of get a system and a rhythm, and we’ve got it down. We’re both big fans of Cheez-It Grooves. That’s what we found out.”
That’s not the only thing Michigan learned about Underwood during preseason camp. These past few weeks were all about confirming that Underwood, who turned 18 a week ago, is ready to be the face of one of college football’s storied programs. Midway through camp, when it became obvious that Underwood was going to be the guy, Moore was asked what more he needed to see.
Moore wanted to see that Underwood could push to the end of camp without tailing off. Underwood passed that final test and, as expected, was named Michigan’s starting quarterback Monday. While Moore deliberately held the announcement until the week of Michigan’s season opener, the answer crystallized in his mind several weeks earlier alongside assistants like offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and associate head coach Biff Poggi.
“We had a scrimmage, and I think it was the first time we went to the stadium,” Moore said. “He made a couple throws, and I just looked at Chip, and he nodded at me. I looked at coach Poggi, who was behind me, and (said), ‘Yeah, I think this is the guy.'”
Making Underwood the starter was the right choice and the only option for Michigan. That’s because Mikey Keene, the Fresno State transfer who was supposed to compete with Underwood for the job, is still working his way back from the injury that sidelined him in the spring.
Keene’s best trait was the experience he brought as a starter at Fresno State and, before that, at UCF. Experience is the one thing Underwood lacks. The questions surrounding Underwood are less about his ability to play the position and more about handling everything else that comes with it.
“Since he’s been like 14 years old, he’s been one of the best players around, one of the best players in his neighborhood,” Moore said. “He’s pretty humble, but he’s confident. You like a confident guy. When he’s around his teammates, he’s as humble and as hard-working as anyone you’ve ever been around.”
Underwood’s confident side tends to come out in interviews, including a recent appearance on the Big Ten Network in which he said, “Nobody’s seen a freshman like me.” The starting quarterback is often a de facto spokesman for the team, but that’s not the case for Underwood, at least not yet. Michigan didn’t make him available to reporters during spring practice or preseason camp and instead leaned on veteran players like Bredeson, left guard Giovanni El-Hadi and edge rusher Derrick Moore for its messaging.
Underwood has been respectful of the veterans and conscious of not overstepping his bounds, Sherrone Moore said. For the Wolverines’ seniors to end their careers the way they hope, they’ll need Underwood to be the quarterback Michigan believes he can be. For Underwood to be that player as a freshman, he’ll need the veteran players to have his back.
Preseason camp was all about fusing those two parts of Michigan’s identity. It happened on the practice field and also in the team hotel when Underwood and Bredeson had time to decompress.
“I got to be around him every day for a month straight,” Bredeson said. “You get to see what someone’s really like when you go back to a hotel room after a three-hour practice. You see the real version of them. The real version is as good as can be.”
This is a consistent theme from people who have interacted with Underwood since his arrival on campus. For all the trappings that come with being the No. 1 recruit in the nation, including a massive NIL deal and relentless media attention, coaches and teammates say Underwood is remarkably grounded. He wanted to earn his place as Michigan’s starting quarterback, and Moore made sure he did that by making him compete until the final whistle of preseason camp.
“He’s earned the opportunity,” the coach said. “It was not given to him.”
The level of competition matters more than the length, and it’s fair to say the bar for Underwood to win the job was lowered because of Keene’s injury. Ultimately, Underwood will be measured against the defenses he’ll face, not by how he stacks up with the other quarterbacks on Michigan’s roster. The challenges will ramp up quickly, starting in Week 2 with a trip to Oklahoma.
If Monday’s announcement came with any trepidation, Moore concealed it well. Starting a freshman quarterback means living with some mistakes, and Michigan is prepared for the inevitable learning curve. Underwood has built up enough equity in nine months to have the trust of everybody around him, even if that trust may be tested at times.
“There is hype, but that’s what happens when you’re starting quarterback at Michigan,” Moore said. “That’s what you ask for. They all deal with it, and that’s why we’re all there to help him.”
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