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Joel Klatt Shreds Michigan Football QB Bryce Underwood — Is His Assessment Fair?

Joel Klatt didn’t hold back when breaking down Bryce Underwood’s season opener, and his concerns about the Michigan quarterback may be justified.
Justice Steiner|
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) makes a pass against Western Michigan during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026.
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) makes a pass against Western Michigan during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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Michigan Wolverines

It was a rough start to the Kyle Whittingham era this past weekend in Ann Arbor, as Michigan football barely took down Western Michigan, 13-12, in its season opener.

There are a lot of places we can place blame, but one person taking a lot of the heat is sophomore QB Bryce Underwood.

Bryce Underwood throws the ball against WMU
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) makes a pass against Western Michigan during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Underwood opened the game looking like a new and improved QB, going a perfect 5-for-5 through the air and scoring on the ground. However, it went downhill from there, as Michigan didn’t score again until the last play of the game on a hail mary touchdown.

Through four quarters, Underwood finished 12-for-22 with 170 yards, a touchdown, an interception and 47 rushing yards, while also coughing up a fumble in crunch time.

On Monday morning, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt went on the Joel Klatt Show and voiced his concerns about the former No. 1 overall recruit.

What Klatt Said

“I’m just telling you right now, guys, that the film was quite shocking,” Klatt said. “I go to the first series and I wanted to see, well, was it good early and then did it regress late…  What I saw on that first series wasn’t great.”

Klatt proceeded to point out that one of those five completions on the opening drive was a broken play where JJ Buchanan had to make a ridiculous one-handed catch. He also talked about completing passes later in the drive where, even though it was complete, he made the wrong read and threw into double coverage.

“You watch the rest of the game (after the first drive), and I am just telling you right now that Bryce Underwood regressed from year one to year two,” Klatt said. “He is throwing curl routes into sitting safeties. He is throwing spot routes and leading those players into cover two corners; this is day one quarterback stuff. These are things that you can't do as a quarterback.”

Is Klatt Right or Overreacting?

As much as I would love to be an optimist in this situation, I agree with Klatt. Underwood almost cost UofM the game. The fumble in the final minutes, a near pick-six, and an interception that was called back were also huge points in this game. It could’ve been even worse than it was.

He also seemed to evade the pocket at the wrong times and when there were openings to take off and get a first down, he just didn’t.

On top of that, JJ Buchanan saved the day for Underwood. The one-handed grab, the Hail Mary catch - most of that can be attributed to Buchanan. He finished the day with 126 of the 170 receiving yards for the Maize and Blue.

JJ Buchanan catches the ball to win the game
Sep 5, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan wide receiver JJ Buchanan (6) catches a Hail Mary pass for a touchdown with no time on the clock to beat Western Michigan at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Underwood was the top recruit in the country and is getting paid millions to play football; this criticism from Klatt and the college football world is completely valid.

The scary part is that Michigan now plays Oklahoma. If Underwood doesn’t step up, that game will get out of control and fast. If Underwood continues to struggle, you will hear fans calling for freshman QB Tommy Carr to get a chance at the helm of the offense.

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Justice Steiner
JUSTICE STEINER

A Battle Creek, Mich. native, Justice Steiner has been passionately involved in sports, currently as the sports information director at Davenport University, an NCAA Division II program, where he covers 12 sports. He also serves as the creative services director for the men's and women's baseball teams. Prior to DU, Steiner worked as a graduate assistant in the sports information office at the University of Louisville, working closely with the women's soccer, women's basketball, men's tennis and softball programs. While at Grand Valley State University, Steiner began his writing career at the Grand Valley Lanthorn. He graduated from GVSU with a degree in advertising and public relations.

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