Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham has warned quarterback Bryce Underwood that his starting role is not guaranteed after the Wolverines narrowly avoided a shock defeat in their season opener against Western Michigan. Underwood salvaged the game with a last-gasp Hail Mary touchdown to JJ Buchanan, securing a 13-12 win, but the scare has prompted the coaching staff to demand improved performances from him and the team going forward.

Underwood, who signed a reported $12 million NIL deal as the top-ranked quarterback recruit of 2025, threw for 170 yards and rushed for 47 more, accounting for both Michigan touchdowns but also throwing an interception. Whittingham told reporters that Underwood's status as starter is "not something that's infinite" and stressed that coaches, too, must lift their performance, following a freshman season in which Underwood threw 11 touchdowns against nine interceptions.