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Praise for Michigan QB Bryce Underwood is high, but the expectations are higher
The expectations were always going to be high for Bryce Underwood at Michigan.
He came in as a five-star quarterback and ranked as the consensus No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class. Quarterbacks like that just don't grow on trees, and Michigan hasn't had a star quarterback recruit like Underwood walk through the doors in a long time.
Even J.J. McCarthy, a five-star, was ranked as the No. 5 quarterback in his class and the No. 25 recruit overall.
Underwood is a big deal as an incoming freshman for the Wolverines, and according to On3 Michigan insider Chris Balas, the young quarterback is already delivering and more.
“Bryce Underwood, from practice one to practice 15, and what he brings to the table in terms of physical skills, is like nothing anybody’s ever seen here before,” Balas said on the "Andy and Ari On3" show.
Balas compared Underwood to some of the great quarterbacks in Michigan's historic past, and he suggested that none came into Ann Arbor the same way Underwood has.
“We’ve seen Drew Henson here as a true freshman, Chad Henne started here as a true freshman. People have been here for 35, 40 years, say he [Underwood] is by far the best freshman quarterback, true freshman that they’ve seen here," Balas said.
Balas is placing massive expectations on Underwood, but there also seems to be a belief that the young quarterback can live up to those expectations.
He's lucky that he also has a strong offensive mind calling the shots alongside of him in head coach Sherrone Moore, who was the offensive coordinator under Jim Harbaugh when the Wolverines won the College Football Playoff.
The setup is there for Underwood to be successful as a freshman. He'll, of course, have to prove it when the hits are for real, and he'll also have to win the starting job outright.
Keep in mind, the talent could be there, but Michigan may choose to insulate Underwood as a freshman. The Wolverines did bring in Fresno State grad transfer quarterback Mikey Keene to compete for the starting role. Former four-star 2024 quarterback Jadyn Davis is also on the roster.
Keene is still recovering from an upper-body injury, though, and ultimately, Balas is hearing that Michigan brought Underwood in (and paid him handsomely) to play. More than likely, he'll be the starter on Aug. 30 against New Mexico, even as a true freshman.
“I do think that Underwood will be the guy," Balas said. "I think that Mikey Keene will be pushing him. Jadyn Davis is a distant third. When I asked somebody specifically? I said, 'Alright, off the record, who’s your quarterback this year?' And then he said follow the money, and that means Bryce Underwood.”
More must-reads:
- Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola is looking poised for a breakout season
- Expect more from LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier's feet this season
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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Former Oregon WR's career may have new life after transfer decision
Ryan Pellum's career with the Oregon Ducks was over before it even started, but it may have new life. The former four-star wideout from Long Beach, California, was ranked as the No. 26 wide receiver in the 2024 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. Pellum took a redshirt last season at Oregon before hitting the transfer portal in January. He was then arrested and charged with assault with use of a firearm after he allegedly pistol-whipped someone in his hometown on Christmas Day in 2024. In June, Pellum was sentenced to probation as part of a plea deal, and now he's trying to get his college football hopes back on track. As such, it's being reported that Pellum will transfer to Delaware State for the 2025 season. Notably, he'll be joining up with former NFL star and three-time Pro Bowler DeSean Jackson, who is heading into his first season as the Hornets' head coach. As a senior in high school, Pellum caught 66 passes for 991 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was at one time committed to USC, but he flipped to Dan Lanning and the Ducks on signing day. Delaware State, located in Dover, Delaware, is an FCS program that is a part of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The Hornets went 2-21 over the past two seasons under head coach Lee Hull, who was fired less than two years after he took over the program.
Steelers Rookie Develops A-List Nickname In Training Camp
Pittsburgh Steelers training camp has seen all of the focus be on Aaron Rodgers, and rightly so, but there are others who are catching the eye with their performances. However, there is one undrafted free agent rookie who is making a name for himself, quite literally and it is running back Max Hurleman. The former Notre Dame star has been putting together good days of practice for Mike Tomlin's offense, but he has also developed quite the nickname among his teammates, and it is a nod to an A-list actor. Steelers beat reporter Mark Kaboly detailed the nickname in a long-winded X post. “Maybe it’s because of his chiseled jaw, or possibly because he can do his own stunts like a backflip in full pads after scoring a touchdown,” Kaboly posted. “Whatever the reason is, Steelers rookie Max Hurleman has been saddled with quite a unique and interesting nickname. His teammates call him … Tom Cruise.” That is quite the name, and it isn't just that which is making people begin to notice Hurleman...it's his feats on the field. In the 31-25 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first preseason game, Hurleman hauled in a 26-yard reception and followed that up with a nice touchdown grab, which he celebrated by performing a backflip in the endzone. Whether or not Hurleman makes the final 53-man roster is unknown, but it is clear he is leaving no stone unturned in his attempts to, and who knows, with a nickname like Tom Cruise, he might just do something thought "impossible" and survive roster cuts.
Vikings joint practice recap, Day 1: How'd J.J. McCarthy fare vs. Patriots?
The Vikings and Patriots just held their first of two joint training camp practices on a beautiful afternoon at TCO Performance Center. Fans packed the stands to watch as the Vikings got an opportunity to test themselves against a different opponent in a practice setting after weeks of battling each other. Let's dive into what took place on Wednesday, starting with the obvious question. How'd J.J. look? J.J. McCarthy, coming off of one 12-snap drive in Minnesota's preseason opener on Saturday (and a normal, lighter practice on Monday), got a ton of reps against the Patriots' defense in this joint practice. That'll be the case again on Thursday. These two days are designed to provide some highly-valuable work for the Vikings' starters, who aren't going to play at all in this weekend's preseason game. McCarthy came out of the gates strong in 7-on-7 action. He completed his first three passes, all to Jordan Addison, including a great throw with touch on an out-breaking route towards the sideline. He also fired a ball into a tight window to Jeshaun Jones. McCarthy started 6 for 6, by my count. It wasn't all perfect, though. He threw a decent ball to Addison that wasn't quite hauled in through good coverage by the Patriots corner. And McCarthy's final throw of the period was one he'd like to have back. He tried to hit Jalen Nailor on an in-breaking route but sailed it way over his head for an interception by Marcus Jones. One thing we've seen from McCarthy is that when he misses, he tends to miss high — and that's dangerous in the NFL. He's continuing to work on his accuracy on certain throws, especially ones that require layering and touch. That was the only interception McCarthy threw on the day. For the most part, he threw the ball well, and his connection with his top two healthy targets was on full display. He and Addison connected numerous times, often on in-breaking intermediate routes. They nearly connected on a deep ball later in the practice, but Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers was able to break it up at the last moment. McCarthy also found tight end T.J. Hockenson frequently on short and intermediate routes. Those two have developed a strong rapport. As has been the case throughout training camp, McCarthy was up and down. There was one move-the-ball period that didn't go particularly well. His first throw was a bit high for Hockenson, although his TE was able to catch it. He then was "sacked" on consecutive plays — and it's always hard to tell from watching live if the blame falls on McCarthy, someone on the O-line, or his targets not creating separation. On 3rd and very long, he was pressured again and could only check it down to Jordan Mason for a short juggling catch. Later, McCarthy lost the ball on a snap exchange with Ryan Kelly. Back to the good stuff: McCarthy never lost confidence and continued to laser the ball into tight windows. He made a great throw to Nailor, who secured a contested catch against Jones. After the deep ball fell incomplete, McCarthy came right back to Addison for a chunk gain on the next play. And to wrap up his day, McCarthy led the Vikings' offense on a successful 1-minute drill. He moved the chains with completions to Hockenson and Aaron Jones, then couldn't quite connect with Nailor on the next play and had to throw the ball away on second down. On third and long, he scrambled to make it a manageable fourth and 5, and he kept the drive alive with yet another completion to Addison on an in-breaking route. The Vikings only had time to settle for a field goal, which Will Reichard drilled from 48 yards out to tie the hypothetical game as time expired. The overall takeaway from McCarthy's day is that it looked a lot like what we've seen from him over the past three-plus weeks. There's a lot of good, but there are plenty of teaching moments as well. I imagine things will continue to be up and down for McCarthy early in the regular season, with the Vikings looking to lean on the run game, short passes, and play-action passing to try to get him in rhythm. Despite the expected inconsistency, there's a ton to like about his potential both this season and in the long term. Thursday, which will feature a good bit of red zone work, will be another big day for McCarthy. Vikings' defense vs. Maye My vantage point for Wednesday's practice was close to the Vikings' offense going against the Patriots' defense, so that was what I watched more intently. But from what I saw — and heard from others who were closer to the far field — the Vikings' defense had a decent day. They were getting lots of pressure on Drake Maye, with Jonathan Greenard feasting on rookie left tackle Will Campbell and the interior guys making life tough on former Vikings center Garrett Bradbury. When the pressure didn't get home, though, Maye looked good. New England's second-year QB has a heck of an arm, which he showed throughout 1-on-1s and into the team periods. Another former Viking, Stefon Diggs, made his presence felt during practice. There were a couple coverage busts from the Vikings' first-team defense that led to long touchdowns for the Patriots. On one, Mack Hollins got wide open and proceeded to punt the ball into the stands after scoring. On another, rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson leaked up the left sideline past Ivan Pace Jr. and caught a Maye pass for a 70-yard TD. Other notes Not participating for the Vikings were Justin Jefferson, Andrew Van Ginkel, Harrison Smith, C.J. Ham, and Levi Drake Rodriguez. Christian Darrisaw did some live work with the first-team offense before giving way to Justin Skule. The biggest highlight of the entire day for the Vikings came from rookie guard Donovan Jackson. The Vikings dialed up a screen pass to Aaron Jones at the perfect time, taking advantage of a Patriots blitz. With tons of green grass in front of him, Jones moved upfield but didn't go into a full sprint, in order to let Jackson and Will Fries get out in front of him. Jackson, after hitting Milton Williams at the line of scrimmage, sent Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins flying to the ground and then knocked over Peppers for good measure. The Vikings' first-round pick pushed three separate defenders to the ground on a play that resulted in a gain of around 60 yards. Jackson's teammates and the fans in the stands went wild. The Vikings' second-team defense had a pair of pick-sixes off of former Minnesota QB Josh Dobbs, who is now the Patriots' backup. Dwight McGlothern got the first one, adding to his array of interceptions over the course of camp. The second-year corner is simply a ball magnet. Later on, safety Jay Ward jumped a route and got another one off of Dobbs, then proceeded to punt the ball in celebration (perhaps in response to Hollins' earlier punt). We didn't see a ton of reps from the Vikings' backup QBs, which is by design since they're going to play a lot in Saturday's preseason game. But all three looked solid in small samples. Sam Howell was accurate underneath, connecting with guys like Tai Felton and Thayer Thomas. The second-team offense was unsuccessful in their crack at the 1-minute drill, though. Brett Rypien also had a few completions, and for the second straight practice, rookie Max Brosmer connected with Tim Jones on a beautiful deep ball that drew plenty of cheers. Fighting can sometimes be a problem in joint practices around the NFL, but Kevin O'Connell and Mike Vrabel made it very clear that they didn't want the competitiveness to cross a line and impede the productivity of their work. There were no real skirmishes on Wednesday. The closest we got was when Patriots WR Javon Baker and Vikings DB Kahlef Hailassie got very chippy during a 1-on-1 special teams drill. This was the most we've gotten to see from the Vikings' punter competition throughout training camp. Ryan Wright had a couple bad punts during his opportunities, and I thought undrafted rookie Oscar Chapman clearly had the better day of the two. He might have a legit chance to win that job. Holding will also matter, but at least in this practice, neither punter had an issue. They split the holds as Reichard went 4 for 4 from 33, 44, 48, and 53 yards to end the day. More Vikings coverage
Is Thomas Muller Playing Tonight For Vancouver Whitecaps Vs Forge In the Canadian Championship?
German legend Thomas Müller drew curtains to his decorated career with Bayern Munich earlier this season, with the player securing a move to Vancouver Whitecaps. Fans have been anticipating his debut ever since his move to the Canadian side, and by the looks of it, Vancouver supporters could be in perfect luck! According to reports, Müller is expected to make his debut for the side against Forge FC as the Vancouver Whitecaps look to secure their place in the Canadian Championship finals. The German has already cleared all medical tests and is fit to start off the opening whistle. Müller is no stranger to championship clashes, and his presence in the team's playing XI could be a huge boost for the club. Expectations are huge with the Whitecaps in line for a legendary four-peat with the Canadian Championship, and a win over Forge will put them just one step away from making history. With the addition of Müller to their ranks, the Whitecaps will fancy their chances of lifting the title, amid their impressive run in the MLS Western Conference Standings. The club are currently placed 2nd in the standings and is likely to make it to the playoffs unless things take a drastic turn. It will be interesting to see if Müller can add another title to his already impressive cabinet as he takes on a new challenge in his decorated career.
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