Wolverine Digest

Davis Warren's first impression of Bryce Underwood: 'You’re not the No. 1 recruit in the country for no reason'

Trent Knoop

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The top-ranked player in the 2025 recruiting cycle, Bryce Underwood, hit the field for the first time as a Michigan Wolverine on Thursday. Early enrollees are now in Ann Arbor helping the veterans gear up to play Alabama in the RealiaQuest Bowl in Florida on Dec. 31.

Senior Davis Warren met with the media on Thursday afternoon, and was asked about his first impressions of the standout quarterback. Warren, who started eight games this season for the maize and blue, initially talked about how humble Underwood is and how hungry he is to get better.

“Bryce, he’s started to get rolling here with us, and man, he’s a great kid, first and foremost,” Warren told reporters on Thursday. “Loves football. You can tell he’s a competitor. Humble, wants to get better...He’s just a guy that wants to get better, wants to improve, knows he’s got a lot to learn, just like any freshman would, but he’s been great.

“Today was really his first day rolling with us, and he wants to help this team win games, just like I do, just like everybody in this building wants to. That’s the way Coach Moore has built it. He built the recruiting classes. I’m so glad that Bryce is here, and it’s gonna be a lot of fun to have him.”

But what has Warren seen from Underwood? It was just the first day on the practice field together, but Michigan's current starting quarterback reiterated that Underwood is the No. 1 ranked recruit for a reason.

“We’ve done some things,” Warren said. “You’re not the No. 1 recruit in the country for no reason. He’s a super talented kid, and he cares about the details. He wants to get better. He wants to do things the right way, and wants to do things the Michigan way.”

While Michigan fans are excited to see Underwood play in the Big House, as they should be, Warren understands the challenges that face the starting quarterback in Ann Arbor. Underwood being a Belleville kid and a local product, there may be even more pressure on his shoulders on top of being a five-star recruit, There are ups and downs to every career, like Warren pointed out. But at the end of the day, Underwood is a gamer and wants to become the best that he can playing for Michigan.

“We were just trying to get Bryce to help him find his helmet today. So there’s a certain level of getting that all figured out, and making sure you know all those things,” Warren said. “There’s a lot going on. I remember my first practice and just trying to make sure I wasn’t late and everything lined up. But I remember making one good throw and Coach Harbaugh hyped me up. And that was kind of what I needed at the time to kind of feel like, OK, I belong and can move forward. And I know Bryce — no one has a perfect career, right? No one — you know, no one. Maybe you can name one or two guys ever that have been that have, but everyone’s had hiccups. I mean, even Peyton Manning threw the most interceptions, I think, for a rookie in NFL history, or whoever you can name anyone.

“So everyone’s going to have ups and downs. I’ve had ups and downs in my career, and he’s going to have ups and downs too. But I know he’s well-suited for it. And that was kind of my message to him, is just take it all in stride. Take it all as a learning opportunity. Be humble, be hungry, and you’ll fit in well here and earn the respect of the guys — because that’s a huge part of playing quarterback is having the respect of the group and knowing that when you’re out there, they can trust you to make the right play and be the competitor to go win the game.”

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Trent Knoop
TRENT KNOOP

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