Turns out that Paul Finebaum has some strong powers when it comes to projecting the future. Well, last season, the Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore landed in a hot seat. The reason? Dishing out a hefty $12 million check to flip Bryce Underwood from LSU. But Finebaum did not see any fault in Moore’s attempt to bring the No.1 quarterback home.
The ESPN analyst dropped a bold projection, “I think Underwood is, like a couple of other freshmen that we’ve heard about, the potential to be can’t miss. That’s a word that gets thrown around a lot with five-star quarterbacks, but he looks like can’t miss.” Moving into the 2025 season, Underwood is carrying some heavy responsibilities on his shoulders. Warding off the looming quarterback crisis in Ann Arbor is no cakewalk. If Finebaum’s surprisingly kind words were not enough of a motivational boost, here comes some more.
On July 10, On3 tweeted about the “Top Freshmen in EA Sports College Football 26.” In that top 10 list, Oregon’s WR Dakorien Moore grabbed the top spot with an overall rating of 84. Underwood was also able to seal a spot for himself as he stands at No.10 with an overall rating of 81. While EA did not release a full official list, On3 went looking through the video game’s rosters to compile the top-50 freshmen in this year’s edition. But what made EA Sports give a spot to Underwood, even though he is yet to prove himself in college? The 6-foot-4, 214-pound quarterback finished his high school career with a 50-4 record. Having racked up state championships as a freshman and sophomore, Underwood broke the Michigan high school football records for career passing and total touchdowns.
Top Freshmen in EA Sports College Football 26
(via @PeteNakos_)
Top 50: https://t.co/JDm494eivk pic.twitter.com/tEBiVszEW8
— On3 (@On3sports) July 10, 2025
Want to know about the Underwood hype in EA Sports College Football 26? His Michigan mates’ rankings would grant a clearer picture. Wolverines quarterbacks Jadyn Davis and Chase Herbstreit stand at 75and 66 overall. Running back Justice Hayne holds a 97 overall rating, followed by WR Donovan McCulley at 83 overall, and tight end Marlin Klein at 77 overall. While Underwood making it to the top 10 list is indeed worth celebrating, there is another side to the coin as well.
Moore’s program has an 85 overall rating, ranking them as the No. 15 team in the game. That’s a four-spot drop from the previous year, where Michigan had an 88 overall rating. However, when the spotlight is on the top 100 in the country, Michigan has four players in the EA Sports College Football 26. Underwood holding 81 overall is indeed great for someone who has yet to play a snap, but not one of the best in the game, or on his team. However, he is yet to beat their defensive end, Derrick Moore, who stands at 91 overall. Now, the quarterback’s rating will depend on how he makes the best use of his debut year in Ann Arbor. Can he do it?
Analyst tries to make Bryce Underwood second-guess his choice
First things first. Underwood was the starter at Belleville High School (MI) beginning in his freshman season. And not to forget, it is rare for a quarterback to start all four years of their high school career. So, Underwood has been exposed to a ton of reps against elite competition. And the stats and awards do all the talking. He wrapped up his high school chapter ona high note, 50-4 record. Secondly, we can’t ignore the fact that Underwood is a physically gifted athlete.
Standing tall at 6-foot-4 and weighing 225 pounds, he is blessed with a cannon arm. And how could we forget about his ease with speed? Time to take the spotlight off Underwood. Michigan’s superior run game and stout defense would tick off all the boxes for the quarterback to rise above. All that Underwood has to do now is shut himself off from all the noise. After all, people are already serving him with enough reasons that would make him regret his LSU flip. For instance, on his podcast, RJ Young stirred the pot with his analysis. “The University of Michigan, that in and of itself, is interesting to me. Bryce Underwood going to LSU would have made a lot more sense for me because LSU is going to be a place where you throw the ball around.” Well, that’s true.
Last season, the Wolverines threw for just 115 yards per game through the air through six games. In today’s college football, that’s really poor. Young continued to sprinkle some more FOMO. “Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow, now Garrett Nussmeier. You can go for 3,000 yards, you can go for 4,000 yards, you can go for 3,000, and 1,000 as a passer and rusher if you’re Jayden Daniels won a Heisman Trophy. They don’t do that at the University of Michigan. They’ve never done that at the University of Michigan.” The tools are in place, the support is solid—Underwood’s only job now? Focus, execute, and rise.
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