4 months ago
- Wolverines
- Published: Jan. 05, 2026, 3:17 p.m.
New coach, caller offense, aforesaid quarterback?
That’s nan dream from caller Michigan caput man Kyle Whittingham, who appeared connected FS1’s “Wake Up Barstool” connected Monday pinch Barstool Sports laminitis and Michigan alum Dave Portnoy.
Asked by Portnoy astir Underwood’s position for 2026, Whittingham said nan freshman backmost “is successful a bully spot correct now” and suggested that an announcement could beryllium made “pretty soon” astir his early successful Ann Arbor.
“He has really enjoyed his clip here,” Whittingham, 66, hired by Michigan connected Dec. 26. “He’s 1 of nan squad leaders -- he’s a young guy, but he’s 1 of nan squad leaders, evidently by kindness of nan position.”
More than a twelve Michigan players person entered nan NCAA transportation portal since it opened connected Friday, nan caller reality successful today’s assemblage football. Compounding nan issue, Whittingham has overhauled overmuch of nan Wolverines’ coaching unit and nan existent portal window, Jan. 2-16, is nan only clip for underclassmen to trial nan marketplace this year.
Still, Whittingham sounds optimistic that Michigan will beryllium capable to clasp Underwood, nan No. 1-ranked enlistee successful nan 2025 precocious schoolhouse class.
“He is simply a feline that we deliberation is going to beryllium a portion of what we’re doing going forward,” Whittingham said. “But, you ne'er cognize until it’s a done deal.”
Since taking nan Michigan job, Whittingham has worked to make Underwood a priority. The erstwhile Utah coach flew to Orlando connected Dec. 26 to meet nan team, past kicked disconnected individual subordinate meetings 2 days later pinch a 45-minute speech “with our quarterback.”
“I did a batch of listening. I wanted to get feedback from him, I wanted to get to cognize him,” Whittingham said during his introductory news convention successful Orlando. “Everything from increasing up, family, what’s important to him. It was a awesome conversation. He’s a typical young man, carries himself nan correct way.”
Whittingham has been thing but complementary of Underwood, who threw for 2,428 yards, 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions successful 2025, praising nan young quarterback’s “it factor” and 6-foot-4, 228-pound frame.
“His ceiling is very high, and nan discourtesy that we’re going to bring successful here, I think, is going to suit him to a T,” Whittingham said successful Orlando. “I deliberation he’s going to really, really excel and person a awesome acquisition here.”
Michigan has since hired up-and-coming violative Jason Beck, nan play caller responsible for Utah’s explosive onslaught successful 2025. The Utes were 4th nationally successful full discourtesy (482.9 yards per game) and scoring discourtesy (41.3 points), bolstered by nan second-best rushing onslaught successful nan country.
Beck besides has extended acquisition coaching quarterbacks, including Devon Dampier astatine New Mexico and Utah, Bryce Perkins astatine Virginia and Brennan Armstrong astatine BYU.
During a Citrus Bowl believe successful Florida, Underwood told reporters he would determine connected his early astatine Michigan aft nan Dec. 31 vessel game. He looked guardant to gathering Whittingham to “figure retired what type of feline he is.”
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Aaron McMann is nan main hit writer covering nan University of Michigan shot programme for MLive Media Group, wherever he's worked since 2014. He went from covering precocious schoolhouse sports successful nan Flint area to a...
