Bryce Underwood Benched: Is His Michigan Career Over?

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images&period;

Bryce Underwood Benched: Is His Michigan Career Over?

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Oct 17, 2026 5:47 PM ET

After weeks of fans begging for a change, Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham has finally benched quarterback Bryce Underwood.

Underwood, the No. 1 recruit from the 2025 class, came to Ann Arbor with massive expectations. He didn’t live up to the hype as a freshman, throwing for 2,428 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Some fans were hoping he’d show massive improvement under a new staff though.

Unfortunately for the Wolverines, they’re still waiting for Underwood to reach his ceiling. He came into this Saturday’s game against Penn State with just 881 passing yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions. His recent performance against Minnesota was pretty rough, and yet, he was even worse this afternoon.

Whittingham benched Underwood at the start of the second half this Saturday, much to the delight of fans attending the game at Michigan Stadium. Underwood was struggling against Penn State’s defense, completing just 5 of 11 pass attempts for 43 yards with two interceptions.

With that being said, Michigan will now rely on Tommy Carr at quarterback for at least the remainder of this game. The former four-star recruit from Saline will certainly have plenty of fan support for the next few weeks.

Michigan Wolverines quarterback Tommy Carr (14) receives the ball in the fourth quarter of a game against UTEP at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026.Josh Boland / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

What does this mean for Bryce?

Although nothing is set in stone at this time, it’s hard to envision a scenario where Underwood turns things around at Michigan. In fact, most media members and fans are convinced his time with the Wolverines is done.

“Hard to imagine Bryce Underwood era isn’t done. Whittingham and Beck tying their own future to Carr here as well,” Trevor McCue of Blue By 90 said.

“The Bryce Underwood era may officially be over in Ann Arbor,” OutKick wrote on X.

It’ll be interesting to hear what Whittingham has to say postgame, especially if Carr leads Michigan to a win.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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