Kyle Whittingham Compares Michigan QB Bryce Underwood to Former NFL MVP

Kyle Whittingham has seen some good quarterbacks come through Utah during his 21 seasons coaching the Utes. Alex Smith was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick, while Whittingham was an assistant under Urban Meyer, and then Whittingham has had quarterbacks like Tyler Huntley, Cameron Rising, and Devon Dampier all do great things under his watch.

But it's possible Whittingham has never had a quarterback as talented as he has on his new roster. Bryce Underwood is very raw and the coaching staff is working on fixing some of the issues that hindered him in 2025. But he was rated as the No.1 player in the nation for a reason, and he has an excellent blend of size and speed.

Appearing on On3's Hard Count with JD PicKell, Whittingham said Underwood reminds him of former No. 1 overall pick and NFL MVP Cam Newton. Obviously, Underwood as a long way to go to live up to the billing Newton had in his prime, but you can see the similarity.

Both players are built, have great speed, and can sling the ball. If Underwood lives up to his potential in the next two to three years, it wouldn't be shocking to see the former five-star toward the top of NFL Draft boards like Newton was.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) is introduced before the game at Bank of America Stadium — Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"You know, he kind of reminds me of Cam Newton, which I didn't have a chance to coach or be around," said Whittingham. "As far as his charisma, his stature, big dude, 6'4 plus, 230 pounds, live arm, great athlete, flashes that smile a lot like Cam did. That's probably the guy that comes to mind mostly, but no, the quarterbacks we've had, I haven't had anybody that is quite of this skillset."

An incredible leader

Underwood is coming off an 11 passing touchdown, nine interception season for Michigan last year, and while his play on the field was up and down, it's clear his teammates respect him. Once Whittingham landed the coaching job, he had his team vote on a leadership council, along with spring captains, and Underwood was among those.

"Well, I don't know if they know or not, but his leadership is incredible," said Whittingham. "He's a tremendous leader. That was evidence for when we first got back here to Ann Arbor and started the offseason program. About two weeks in, we had the team vote for captains, and he was a landslide winner. He was the offensive captain, so that tells you what his teammates think about him and where he sits with them."

Fans will have a chance to see Underwood and Michigan in action on April 18 for the Wolverines spring game.