Brent Venables compares Michigan football's Bryce Underwood to Trevor Lawrence

True freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood made an efficient first start for Michigan football, throwing for 251 yards and a touchdown in the Wolverines' 34-17 victory over New Mexico.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables, renowned for his defensive expertise, praised Underwood ahead of their upcoming game. Venables compared the young quarterback to former No. 1 overall recruit Trevor Lawrence, highlighting Underwood's quickness, decisiveness, accuracy, poise, toughness, consistency, maturity, work ethic, and leadership, describing him as "wise beyond his years."

Underwood, a highly sought-after prospect who initially committed to LSU before choosing Michigan, secured the starting position by outperforming competitors like Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene. He is one of the top-rated recruits in recent memory, with a 247Sports Composite rating of 0.998, closely approaching Trevor Lawrence's all-time high rating of 1.0032.

Trevor Lawrence won a national championship at Clemson as a freshman and was later selected first overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. While Underwood has yet to achieve similar success, the high praise from a defensive-minded coach like Venables is a positive indicator for his potential with the Wolverines.

The upcoming game against Oklahoma will serve as a significant test for Underwood in his second career start and first college road game.