Knowing what he knows now, does he commit to Michigan in the first place?
Is a Potential Bryce Underwood Transfer Possible?
Commitment To Be a Michigan Wolverine
It’s easy to lob blame at Bryce Underwood for Michigan’s failures, but it’s important to consider the environment that he committed to play in. Then head coach Jim Harbaugh led the coaching staff that included defensive analyst Connor Stalions, who was eventually exposed for cheating. Pause.
In comes Sherrone Moore taking over head coaching duties in 2024-2025. Pause.
In comes Underwood in 2025 to play quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines.
Do you see where this is going?
Underwood committed to a school that was involved in a cheating scandal several seasons prior and placed under the leadership of someone who, unknowingly at the time, was also involved in a cheating scandal.
Granted, he flipped on his commitment to LSU after the allegations against Stalions and Harbaugh, but do you still commit knowing what is going to happen under Moore’s leadership? No. Absolutely not.
Underwood is 19 years old and made the mistake of committing to a dysfunctional program that was still very much dealing with the remnants of a tarnished Harbaugh staff, which Moore had been a part of since 2018. You can’t expect a player to improve season over season when he’s been failed on a systemic level.
Landing Spots If He Decides to Transfer
Who would blame him for transferring to LSU to play under Lane Kiffin? He’s turned entire programs around. After turning Ole Miss into a national powerhouse in the SEC, Kiffin’s return to LSU could be the perfect fit for Underwood, who originally committed to go there.
Another option is staying in the Big Ten by heading to Oregon. Dan Lanning had success at Georgia, and the Ducks have a consistent history of turning athletic, mobile quarterbacks into lethal gun-slingers. It’s important to note that Lanning runs a pro-style offense.
The Miami Hurricanes have finally had their resurgence back to the top of the rankings over the last couple of seasons, with this season looking to be no different as they currently sit in first place in the ACC. With current quarterback Darian Mensah likely to declare for the draft after what appears to be another Heisman-worthy season, a transfer to the ACC could be a significant possibility should Mensah depart for the NFL.
Staying in Michigan
On the other hand, he may stay to continue playing under Kyle Whittingham. Whittingham has a proven history of winning, long before the college football playoff. Whittingham coached the Utah teams in the 2000’s and 2010’s and is part of the reason why the NCAA started the CFP discussion.
It’s Whittingham’s first season coaching Underwood, and you can’t unravel multiple season-long scandals that both Underwood and Whittingham have inherited, along with the rest of the players and staff that have come on board post-Harbaugh-Moore.
The Last Word
Maybe Underwood will transfer. Maybe he won’t. There’s still a lot of football left in the season, and plenty of time for Whittingham to show that he can turn things around, or, at the very least, start steering the ship in the right direction, starting with Underwood, if he wants him to stay a Wolverine.
Main Image: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
