Greg McElroy has long had a knack for seeing the potential in Michigan football before the rest of the country catches on. Back in 2023, he was among the first analysts to predict the Wolverines could win a national championship—and we all know how that turned out. Now, as Michigan looks ahead to the 2026 season, McElroy believes the program's ceiling hinges largely on one player: quarterback Bryce Underwood.

On his Always College Football podcast, McElroy broke down what's at stake for the maize and blue. "The Michigan Wolverines are trying to get back into the College Football Playoff, and they have some coaching transition as well," he said. "But the biggest question for Michigan this year is: can Bryce Underwood make a sophomore leap under a new coach, new coordinator, and a completely new offensive system?"

That's no small ask. Underwood arrived in Ann Arbor as the top-ranked recruit in his class, but his freshman season was a mixed bag—exciting flashes mixed with growing pains, including a tough finish in the Citrus Bowl loss to Texas. Now, with a revamped coaching staff led by Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck (who dramatically improved Utah's offense last season), the Wolverines are betting on a quick turnaround.

McElroy sees the coaching transition as a smooth one, especially with defensive coordinator Jay Hill coming over from BYU. But he emphasized that retaining Underwood was the real game-changer. "He was the top recruit from the class a couple years back, had a bit of an up-and-down freshman year—which is to be expected—and didn't play his best ball in the closing stretch," McElroy noted. "Now, the spring game was a low-scoring affair, and Underwood, in limited reps, was just 3-of-..."

For Michigan fans, the message is clear: the Wolverines have the pieces to contend, but everything starts with Underwood's development. If he takes that sophomore leap, the sky could be the limit in 2026.