Who is Bryce Underwood? How Michigan football flipped top QB from LSU

Posted by Admin November 22, 2024 Football

Bryce Underwood announced his decision suddenly on Thursday, after a steady stream of rumors and reports built up over the past few months, ever since it became obvious Michigan football was still pursuing the nation’s No. 1 recruit from right down the road.

Or rather, Adam Schefter did in the middle of a “Sportscenter” segment.

The ESPN NFL insider and Michigan alum broke the news that Underwood, a quarterback who previously committed to LSU, had informed Michigan officials he would instead be joining the Wolverines. Underwood soon followed with a video posted to his Instagram account confirming his commitment to Michigan, a massive recruiting flip for the Wolverines and coach Sherrone Moore in the aftermath of the program’s national championship run last season.

Underwood’s path to Ann Arbor, Michigan, despite becoming a star at nearby Belleville High School, featured all sorts of intriguing plot twists, particularly in recent weeks as Michigan’s efforts ramped up. Here’s more background on Underwood and how he wound up choosing Michigan football over LSU:

Bryce Underwood recruiting journey

Underwood burst onto the national recruiting scene when he threw for more than 3,000 yards and 39 touchdowns as a freshman at Belleville High School in Belleville Michigan.

The 6-foot-3 quarterback has drawn comparisons to Vince Young and Cam Newton and is considered the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class by multiple national recruiting websites.

Underwood committed to LSU last January, four days before Michigan won the national championship game over Washington and in the aftermath of Jayden Daniels winning the Heisman Trophy playing for Tigers coach Brian Kelly. It wasn’t until this fall that reports surfaced indicating Moore, Michigan’s first-year coach, had decided to renew the program’s recruiting efforts with Underwood.

Earlier this month, Michigan fans began showing up to Underwood’s playoff games with Belleville High School to encourage him to stay close to home with the Wolverines. But Underwood, in the wake of a CBS Sports report less than two weeks ago that Michigan had offered $10.5 million, posted a picture of himself on Instagram wearing a LSU jersey indicating he was likely to turn down Michigan.

Bryce Underwood, Larry Ellison and Michigan NIL

Michigan’s push to flip Underwood from LSU coincided with an NIL push by the school’s major donors. The Champions Circle NIL collective specifically mentioned the role played by Oracle founder Larry Ellison in a statement celebrating Underwood’s decision.

“We are very excited to keep Bryce home in Michigan as he continues to build his legacy,” chairman Nate Forbes said. “I want to personally thank Jolin and Larry Ellison who were instrumental in making this happen by providing Champions Circle with invaluable guidance and financial resources.”

The terms of Underwood’s NIL agreement with Michigan collective were not announced. The Baton Rouge Advocate previously reported that LSU offered Underwood $1.5 million annually, a figure that would have made him the highest-paid player on the team.

What Bryce Underwood flip means for Brian Kelly, LSU

Bryce Underwood’s decision to flip to Michigan comes at an inopportune moment for coach Brian Kelly, who is starting to feel pressure now that his third season in Baton Rouge has veered off course. LSU (6-4) is coming off a 27-16 loss to Florida in which Kelly was shown on camera screaming at Tigers receiver Chris Hilton on the sideline, the low point of a three-game skid that ended any shot at making the College Football Playoff.

LSU dropped to No. 6 in 247 Sports class of 2025 recruiting rankings following Underwood’s announcement on Thursday, and recruiting experts believe LSU could be in danger of losing more players since Underwood isn’t in the fold anymore and the program seems on shakier ground in the midst of a rocky fall. So Kelly, in addition to closing the 2024 season strong on the field, must now also hold together his recruiting class to keep college football’s hot seat at bay.

Are Bryce Underwood and Connor Stalions connected?

Oddly enough, yes.

The former Michigan football staffer who became infamous during the 2023 season for his role in Michigan’s sign stealing scandal recently began working with Underwood’s Belleville High School football team. It’s unclear if Stalions was involved in Underwood’s decision to change his commitment from LSU to Michigan. Belleville co-head coach Calvin Norman told the Detroit Free Press last month that Stalions is helping with the offense and “observing Bryce (Underwood).”

Can Bryce Underwood fix Michigan’s QB problem?

Michigan football’s backslide from winning the national championship last season to clawing to just get bowl eligible in 2024 is due to a variety of reasons, but the team’s quarterback situation is perhaps the most prominent. The Wolverines have the worst passing offense in the country among Power Four Conference teams entering their game against Northwestern Saturday.

Michigan hasn’t found a consistent replacement for J.J. McCarthy, cycling through three different starters. Underwood is likely to be given the reins early in his career, as his high-profile recruitment this fall seemed influenced by how dire Michigan’s passing woes have been at times this season.