Michigan has pulled off a heist. Five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood has chosen to spurn LSU to commit to the Michigan Wolverines. The reason for the change of heart was not Michigan’s history, state-of-the-art facilities, or the kindness of strangers in Ann Arbor. Underwood chose to flip because because he was offered a four-year deal, worth $10 million to flip. This is the age of the NIL, and it won’t be long until college athletes have their own union negotiating deals for them.
By the way, there is no problem with athletes making big money, even college athletes. They generate revenue in the tens of billions for their respective institutions, and if the coaches can make millions, the players should too. This has been a long time coming, and it’s absolutely a good thing in general. It’s a bad thing in this particular case because it’s a giant waste of money by the Wolverines. They might be better off just setting fire to $10 million, instead of giving it to a freshman quarterback.
Signing a high school player to a college team isn’t the same as signing an NFL free agent. The odds of him coming in, and making an impact right away is slim to none. The truth is, Bryce Underwood is more likely to redshirt next year than he is to make any sort of impact. There’s a big difference between playing against 15-year-olds and playing against 20-year-olds, and most football players have a hard time making the adjustment right away.
This isn’t a knock on Underwood’s talent. Last season, in 11 games, he threw for 2,321 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also had 568 yards on 38 carries (14.9 yards per carry) and 5 touchdowns. He’s 6’4 and 215 pounds, and he is the number one player in the 2025 class. ESPN gave him a five-star rating, and a grade of 93 overall. The class of 2023 saw a similar phenom, in quarterback Malachi Nelson.
Nelson, who has a similar build to Underwood, was also a five-star recruit with a grade of 93 on ESPN. He was also the top quarterback and the top overall player in the 2023 class. He was named the high school player of the year after throwing for 2,690 yards and 39 touchdowns. He committed to USC, where he was a redshirt freshman, then transferred to Boise State, and sat on the bench for them in 2024. He may turn out to be a phenomenal player, but if Underwood follows a similar path, Michigan will have paid $5 million over two seasons, for zero production.
There’s a chance, that like Nelson, Underwood could enter the transfer portal before ever taking a snap for the Wolverines. Alex Orji will be back next year, and while he didn’t impress in 2024, there’s always the chance he shows up better than ever for the 2025 season. Will Underwood be patient if he is forced to redshirt? Will he be OK with Michigan brining in more quarterbacks to compete with him (which they are going to do)?
In the modern-day game, a team needs to do whatever it can to lure talent, but when it comes to high school talent, teams are paying to plant rose bushes that are years from blooming, and may end up blooming in someone else’s garden. Bryce Underwood is an elite talent, and definitely a player that any team would want on their roster. Only time will tell if Michigan made a smart, $10 million investment, or if they just put those Benjamin’s in a trash compactor.
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