Kyle Whittingham compares Bryce Underwood to Cam Newton

Kyle Whittingham walked into the Michigan facilities without having to worry about the quarterback position. He inherited Bryce Underwood from the previous regime, somebody who possesses a ton of potential. Some of it flashed during the 2024 season, one where Underwood was a true freshman. Still, there is a lot to unlock moving forward.

Sometimes, a comparison is the best way to show how highly you think of a player. And for Whittingham, the guy for Underwood is Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton. Mainly just from a physical standpoint, where both guys are big for the position and quite athletic, all while possessing the traits elite quarterbacks do.

“He kind of reminds me of Cam Newton,” Whittingham said in an interview with On3’s J.D. PicKell. “Who I didn’t have a chance to coach or be around. But as far as his charisma, his stature. Big dude… Live arm, great athlete, flashes that smile a lot like Cam did. That’s probably the guy that comes to mind, mostly.”

Underwood completed just over 60% of his attempts last year, adding 2,428 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. If you are going to compare him to Newton, the rushing stats need to be thrown in there as well. In 88 attempts, Underwood went for 392 yards and six touchdowns. Health was thankfully on his side throughout the season too, playing in all 13 Michigan games.

Whittingham appears ready to rely on Underwood for more than just his on-field play as well. Team captains were voted on, not too long after offseason workouts began. Underwood got the honor in what his head coach called a “landslide.” Just another layer of the responsibility heading Underwood’s way.

“His leadership is incredible,” Whittingham said. “He’s a tremendous leader. That was evident from when we first got here to Ann Arbor and started the offseason program. About two weeks in, we had the team vote for captions and he was a landslide winner as the offensive captain. So, that tells you what his teammates think about him and where he sits with them.”

Living up to the type of season Newton put together back in 2010 is difficult. Many consider the national championship-winning effort at Auburn the greatest single campaign in college football history. But Whittingham feels good enough about the physical tools to make the comparison. Now, Michigan is hoping those develop a little bit more before the 2026 season.