University of Michigan football defensive line coach Lou Esposito and general manager Sean Magee were at Howell High School (Mich.) on Friday to watch the nation’s top recruit, Bryce Underwood (Belleville), play 3-star Michigan defensive line commit Bobby Kanka (Howell).

The Belleville Tigers (8-1) lost to the Howell Highlanders (9-0) in the KLAA Championship on Friday night in a top Michigan high school football showdown. Underwood ran for two touchdowns in the game.

Underwood is the top recruit in the class of 2025, and he is currently committed to LSU and has been since January. But that hasn’t stopped the Wolverines from showing interest.

Rivals.com’s Josh Henschke wrote this week:

“Let’s start with the facts.

– Sherrone has spearheaded a serious push for Bryce Underwood. FACT.

– Bryce Underwood has been receptive to the advances. FACT.- Some in the recruiting circles report that Bryce is legitimately “torn” on what to do next. FACT.

– Michigan has significant support for NIL moves like this, and others, moving forward. FACT.”

Last week, Underwood responded with laughing Emoji’s on Instagram to rumors that he is being offered $4 million in NIL to sign with Michigan.

Magee’s role is to handle the Wolverines’ NIL initiatives.

“As the Senior Associate Athletic Director and General Manager, Magee will oversee all aspects of the recruiting and player personnel departments as well as coordinate the program’s NIL initiatives,” according to the athletic department’s website.

Underwood isn’t the only reason why Michigan staffers are at this game. Kanka has been committed to Michigan since August, and he remained firm in his commitment even after Jim Harbaugh left for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Kanka can make his own highlight-reel plays.

247sports.com on Underwood:

“Potential franchise signal caller with the ideal blend of size, arm talent and athleticism. Exhibited no shortage of field command midway through senior season, which makes sense given resume: over 48 career starts and upwards of 165 touchdowns accounted for. Those numbers are amplified even more by the fact that he’s extremely young for the grade and won’t turn 20 years old until his third year of college. Has continued to improve as a passer and has gotten much more in tune with his mechanics. However, the biggest revelation in his final prep campaign has been his ability to move the chains with his legs as he builds speed and dodges defenders as an open-field runner with a frame that’s north of 6-foot-3 and pushing 215 pounds. Displays excellent pocket awareness for his age and isn’t one that panics as pressure builds. Does best to stay on schedule and hit his marks with authority, showing the ability to not only challenge tight coverage windows with velocity over the middle, but also throw with both touch and anticipation to the second and third levels. Projects as a multi-year impact player for a College Football Playoff contender that has a chance to eventually emerge as a first-round pick in the NFL Draft with his tools. Might need a semester or two to find his footing, but ability to hunt big plays and distribute on the move could be hard to keep off the field even if he’s still learning how to dissect complex defenses.”