ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Bryce Underwood took a shotgun snap, dropped back, stood tall and delivered a 33-yard pass to Donaven McCulley up the sideline with perfect placement to show a flash of his talent in a win over Wisconsin.
Three snaps later, Michigan’s quarterback looked like the freshman he is.
Underwood rolled left and threw left, losing control of the football as it came out of his right hand and sailing a pass over his target that the Badgers nearly picked off.
The 15th-ranked Wolverines are one of several Big Ten teams that are starting quarterbacks in their first or second year of college and are living with good moments and growing pains.
Maryland freshman Malik Washington, Ohio State redshirt freshman Julian Sayin and Minnesota redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey — along with sophomores Dylan Raiola of Nebraska and Demond Williams Jr. of Washington — are making many more plays than mistakes.
Sayin won the conference’s Freshman of the Week award for the second time this week, matching Washington’s total. Underwood and Lindsey have each won the honor once.
Underwood enrolled last winter as the nation’s top-ranked recruit and intentionally stayed quiet, not wanting to overstep with upperclassmen, before speaking up more often during the spring, summer and this season.
“I think the guys gained a lot of trust in me, to trust in what I see and say,” he said.
Underwood became the fourth freshman to start at quarterback for Michigan (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) and is coming off a season-high 270-yard passing performance with a touchdown throw against the Badgers.
“Just seeing him grow from January to now is crazy,” McCulley said after he had six catches for a season-high 112 yards and a score last week. “He’s becoming more of a vocal leader. He’s always had good poise that is only getting 10 times better.”
Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said the Wolverines aren’t putting a lot on Underwood’s plate.
“It’s not too much on him right now,” Fickell said. “He’ll grow and grow and grow, but he’s as talented as there is.”
Sayin, an Alabama transfer, has completed 80% of his passes for top-ranked Ohio State (5-0, 2-0) to lead all major college football quarterbacks. He has 13 touchdown passes and only two interceptions, helping put him among the Big Ten’s highest-rated quarterbacks.
“He’s got a bright future ahead of him,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day after Sayin was 22 of 28 for 208 yards and two touchdowns in a win at Washington two weeks ago.
Raiola has started all 18 games since he arrived as a freshman last year. After struggling the second half of last season, his numbers have improved through the first five games for the Cornhuskers (4-1, 1-1). He has completed 74.5% of his passes for 266 yards per game with 12 touchdowns against two interceptions.
The biggest knock against Raiola has been his tendency to hold the ball too long, which has exacerbated pass-protection issues. Since the start of last season, Raiola has taken 42 sacks, fifth-most among FBS quarterbacks.
“Ultimately it’s me, so I’ll take that and we’ll learn from it and be better,” he said.
Washington has started for the Terrapins (4-1, 1-1) since Week 1 and they already have matched their win total for last season. He has thrown for nine touchdowns with only two interceptions and has run for three scores.
Williams has eight touchdown passes with only one interception and has two rushing touchdowns for the Huskies (4-1, 1-1).
Lindsey made the most of his redshirt season last year with the Gophers (3-2, 1-1), learning behind sixth-year transfer Max Brosmer.
He fits with the program’s preference to develop players over the long term rather than frequently plug in newcomers from the transfer portal. Lindsey was the Gatorade Player of the Year for Arkansas high school football in 2023, but without an offer from his home-state Razorbacks, he went north to the state where his grandfather, Jim Lindsey, played seven seasons as a running back for the Super Bowl-bound Vikings.
Lindsey went 31 of 41 for 324 yards and three touchdowns to lead Minnesota past Rutgers 31-28 last month. He was 6 of 7 for 72 yards and a score on the go-ahead touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter.
Coach P.J. Fleck’s message to Lindsey before the final drive?
“We’re putting it on your shoulders, big boy,” Fleck said.
AP’s Eric Olson, Joe Reedy, Noah Trister and Dave Campbell contributed.