Though his fellow classmates from just a week ago are yet to reach winter break, his new teammates are gearing up to face Alabama in two weeks. And with more than 250 days until he takes the field in a game, the Bryce Underwood era of Michigan football has officially kicked off. The 6-foot-5 quarterback, ranked as the No. 1 quarterback and overall player in the 247Sports Composite, enrolled at Michigan this week and began practicing with the Wolverines. He isn't eligible to participate in the Wolverines' December 31 clash against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl. But in the next two weeks, he'll have the chance to familiarize himself with Michigan's offense, his new teammates, and the rhythm of being a collegiate quarterback. He can also start his campaign to become Michigan's first true freshman starting quarterback in 15 years.

Quarterback Insights

Redshirt junior quarterback Davis Warren expressed his enthusiasm on Thursday, saying, "Today was really his first day rolling with us, and he wants to help this team win games, just like I do, just like everybody in this building wants to. That's the way coach (Sherrone) Moore has built it. He built the recruiting classes. I'm so glad that Bryce is here, and it's gonna be a lot of fun to have him." Warren further added, "We've done some things. You're not the No. 1 recruit in the country for no reason. He's a super talented kid, and he cares about the details. He wants to get better. He wants to do things the right way, and wants to do things the Michigan way."

Physical Traits and Impressions

Michigan edge TJ Guy noticed Underwood's physical attributes right away. He said, "He's all of 6-5. That's one thing I noticed. He's tall. He's a big kid. I saw him throw a little bit, and it looks good coming out of his hand." These physical traits have already left an indelible mark.

Underwood's Demeanor

For Warren, who shared a quarterback room with 2024 first-round NFL Draft pick JJ McCarthy for three years, Underwood's demeanor and desire to get better stand out. Warren said, "He's started to get rolling here with us, and man, he's a great kid, first and foremost. Loves football. You can tell he's a competitor. Humble, wants to get better. I think it's a little bit of a beautiful thing, the way he came in versus the way I came in — it couldn't be any different. I don't know if there was even an article written about me when I was committed, and I'm sure there have been a lot written about him. But you wouldn't even be able to tell. He's just a guy that wants to get better, wants to improve, knows he's got a lot to learn, just like any freshman would, but he's been great."

Historical Perspective

Described by 247Sports scout Andrew Ivins as a "potential franchise signal caller with the ideal blend of size, arm talent and athleticism," there is a great deal of optimism from Michigan fans regarding what Underwood can achieve at Michigan. But history shows that college football can be unforgiving to true freshman quarterbacks, even those of Underwood's caliber. Since 2000, among the 13 quarterbacks ranked as top-three overall recruits out of high school, only four started games as true freshmen - Trevor Lawrence (Clemson), Matt Barkley (USC), Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State), and Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame). Of these four, Lawrence was the only one to account for more than 15 passing touchdowns and also the only one to win 10 games or more as a starter. In other words, Underwood has his work cut out for him.

Growing and Adapting

Even Warren, who has been through the season, understands the importance of getting comfortable in the program and system. He said, "Even I felt that from when I started the season to the end of the season, just the comfortability, being in the program, being in the system. We were just trying to help Bryce find his helmet today. There's a lot going on. I remember my first practice, and just making sure I wasn't late and everything lined up. I remember making one good throw, and coach (Jim) Harbaugh hyping me up, and that was what I needed at the time to make me feel like I belong and can move forward."With sky-high potential, a willingness to work, and a deafening amount of outside noise, Bryce Underwood's time at Michigan has truly begun. Everyone involved is excited to see how he can grow his game in the coming months. As Warren said, "Everyone's gonna have ups and downs. I've had ups and downs in my career, and he's gonna have ups and downs, too. But I know he's well-suited for it, and that was kind of my message to him, was take it all in stride, take it all as a learning opportunity, be humble, be hungry and you'll fit in well here and earn respect of the guys. Because that's a huge thing about playing quarterback, is having the respect of the group and knowing that when you're out there, they can trust you to make the right play and be the competitor you need to be to win the game."