Underwood staying with Michigan in 2026 after Whittingham hire

Kyle Whittingham has secured his first win as Michigan coach with the return of star quarterback Bryce Underwood for the 2026 season.

The true freshman passer announced Monday that he will remain at Michigan for his sophomore campaign.

The decision comes after the Wolverines hired Whittingham as the program's new head coach following the sudden firing of Sherrone Moore in early December.

Underwood was the top-ranked quarterback in the class of 2025 and started for Michigan in his first season after decommitting from LSU shortly before signing day.

Whittingham expressed confidence about the Wolverines' chances of retaining the 6-foot-4, 228-pound passer after taking the job, meeting with him for nearly an hour in the days leading up to the Citrus Bowl against Texas.

"He has enjoyed his time here, and he is one of the team leaders," Whittingham said Monday, according to The Detroit Free Press' Tony Garcia. "He's a young guy, but he's one of the team leaders, obviously by virtue of the position. And so he is a guy that we think is going to be a part of what we're doing going forward."

Underwood completed 60.3% of his passes for 2,428 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 2025. He also rushed for 392 yards and six scores.