Herbstreit: Healthy Bryce Underwood Could Put Michigan in Big Ten Title Mix
As Michigan embarks on a new era under head coach Kyle Whittingham, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit has injected some optimism into the Wolverines' 2026 outlook — but with a clear condition. On the Nonstop podcast on August 24, Herbstreit said that if sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood stays healthy and delivers a breakout season, Michigan could find itself in the thick of the Big Ten title race.
“I mean, if Bryce is healthy and goes off, you could put Michigan in that discussion,” Herbstreit said. “So, let’s say six teams if everything goes well. You can sit here right now and say they could win the Big 10. I say, six.”
Herbstreit’s comments place Michigan among a handful of Big Ten contenders, though he identified the conference’s top tier as more predictable: defending champion Indiana, preseason No. 1 Ohio State, and Dan Lanning’s Oregon. He then lumped Michigan with Illinois and USC as potential teams in the No. 4–6 range, suggesting the Wolverines could climb if the pieces fall into place.
The key piece, according to Herbstreit, is Underwood. The former five-star recruit had an up-and-down freshman season in 2025, throwing for 2,428 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions while completing 60.3% of his passes across 13 games. He also added 392 rushing yards and six scores, showcasing dual-threat ability that has Michigan fans excited.
Herbstreit has a unique window into Michigan’s quarterback room — his son, Chase Herbstreit, is a backup quarterback on the Wolverines’ roster. Kirk Herbstreit revealed that Chase has relayed that Underwood has grown behind the scenes, which bolsters his confidence in the young signal-caller.
Herbstreit also cautioned against overreacting to Underwood’s freshman inconsistencies during an appearance on the Crain & Cone podcast in February. He attributed some of the struggles to the difficulty of playing as an 18-year-old true freshman in a rigid scheme. Now that Michigan has a full year of tape, Herbstreit noted the staff finally has an offseason to study Underwood’s “sweet spot” and build the playbook around his strengths.
Underwood’s development may also be aided by a coaching change. Reports indicate that last season Underwood did not have a dedicated quarterback coach, which hampered his progress. New offensive coordinator Jason Beck brings a track record of developing quarterbacks, which could be pivotal for Michigan’s offense.
The Wolverines’ schedule, however, poses a significant challenge. Michigan opens its season on Sept. 5 against Western Michigan, but the slate includes six teams ranked in the preseason top 25, including No. 2 Oregon and a season finale against No. 1 Ohio State.
Michigan enters the season in a state of transition. The program parted ways with head coach Sherrone Moore last year amid a scandal involving a staffer’s report of an affair, leading to the hiring of Kyle Whittingham. Whittingham brings more than 30 years of college coaching experience, including 32 years at Utah and 21 as head coach, where he compiled a 177–88 record. He led the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022, posted an 11–6 bowl record, and capped an undefeated 2008 season with a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama.
Despite the turmoil, the Wolverines are hardly being written off. Chris Vannini of The Athletic ranked Michigan at No. 16 in his preseason rankings, calling the spot “respectable, but not great.” Vannini noted, “The Wolverines won nine games last year amid major coaching turmoil. Can the steady hand of Kyle Whittingham get them back to the Playoff? More specifically, will enough receivers emerge to help second-year quarterback Bryce Underwood?”
Those questions will be answered starting in September, but Herbstreit’s assessment suggests Michigan’s ceiling is higher than many expect — if Underwood can stay healthy and deliver on his immense potential.