Michigan football shocked the world, broke the internet, became the main story of college football, and all it took was keeping a homegrown kid home.
It wasn’t that simple to get 2025 Belleville (Mich.) five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood to defect from his LSU commitment in favor of the local Michigan Wolverines, but Sherrone Moore and the staff mobilized the donors with NIL in a way that has never been done before in Ann Arbor, and went on the quietest full-court press you’ll ever see in college football recruiting. Underwood flipped from the Tigers and the news thrust Michigan into the limelight amid a season where it had also been, but for the wrong reasons.
The national media had a lot to say about the Underwood commitment. Here are five reactions from national outlets or personalities discussing what Michigan is getting and more.
On3’s Charles Power
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Power wrote a long piece describing what makes Underwood particularly special. Though he mentioned his elite arm talent and ability to run, he sees a complete package that’s a game-changer in the same vein as Trevor Lawrence was for Clemson.
Bryce Underwood is one of the top quarterback talents to come through high school football in the past five to ten years. The combination of physical talent, on-field resume and upside put him in the conversation with former top prospects like Trevor Lawrence and Caleb Williams – two No. 1 prospects out of high school who ended up being top NFL Draft picks. That’s obviously an extremely high bar to meet. Underwood will need to continue developing at Michigan to do so, but there is no question the talent and upside is there.
Underwood should make an instant impact in Ann Arbor. Given his talent and the state of the Wolverines’ quarterback room, I expect Underwood to be Michigan’s starting quarterback in 2025, likely when they kick off the season against New Mexico.
247Sports’ Allen Trieu
Junfu Han-Detroit Free Press
Trieu noted the historical context for the Wolverines as well as the need for Sherrone Moore to land an elite quarterback, but again, his traits are what stand out the most.
Stats are nice, but in translating that to the next level, traits take more importance and Underwood has them.
He has size, arm talent and athleticism. As far as intangibles, it is tough to win as many games as he did, especially in Michigan’s highest classification without having some of that. He was clutch in several late game situations even going back to his freshman year. He has had such a spotlight on him through his Belleville career and it never looked like it affected him. Even in the games they lost, we would not say it was because the moment ever got to him.
ESPN’s Tom Luginbill
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Luginbill shared why Underwood is the No. 1 player in the country according to ESPN as well as how he fits at Michigan, but the most interesting part of the piece, again, is why he believes Underwood is so good.
Underwood has the supreme blend of arm talent, arm strength and physical stature that you want in the position. He brings a total package, mentally and physically, with height, weight, speed, instincts and awareness. He plays with a good base from within the pocket and can pick apart a defense while also creating his own magic. He’s an exceptional off-platform thrower and moves smoothly outside the pocket.
He compares to players like Trevor Lawrence from Clemson and the Jacksonville Jaguars and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Underwood, however, has better natural arm strength than Sanders. He is capable as a dual threat but is more of a pure passer who could fit in any scheme. He has the ability to handle the jump from high school to college and be a factor right away.
ESPN (subscription required)
Josh Pate
In the above video, Pate shares his thoughts about how meteoric of a pickup this is for Michigan football as well as why it’s so devastating for LSU.
CBS Sports’ John Talty
Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Talty didn’t write about how Underwood fits or how good he is. Instead, if you’re a fan of schadenfreude, he discussed how the flip affects LSU and Brian Kelly.
It’s been a miserable third season for Brian Kelly at LSU. It got a lot worse Thursday night when the Tigers lost the player who could have been Kelly’s meal ticket in 2025 and beyond, No. 1 recruit Bryce Underwood. The five-star quarterback flipped to local Michigan, which was by all accounts offering an NIL package in the range of $10 million.
A huge $60 million buyout is Kelly’s firewall, but Underwood was the reason to still hope he can follow in his predecessors’ footsteps and win a national championship at LSU. It’s far too simplistic to say it will only be Underwood who will deliver that. And I’d bet Garrett Nussmeier returns in 2025 and is much improved — and hopefully more careful with the ball. But LSU needs better players across the board to actually compete for the SEC — its offensive line will have to drastically improve despite losing two projected first-round picks, it needs help along the defensive front, the wide receiver room will have to be replenished and, of course, it needs better play from its quarterback, the assumption now being that that’s Nussmeier job without a backstop.
