Michigan just paid $12 million for their new 5* QB, flips him from LSU

[GopherEnEspaña]

Local kid from Belleville HS in Detroit, 5* QB Bryce Underwood. Here's some more info:

The LSU Offer: $1.5 Million Per Year

LSU continues adapting to the new norm in the name, image and likeness space with the program proving they are willing to shell out the dollars to land the top talent.

As it stands, the Tigers hold commitments from a trio of five-stars in Harlem Berry (No. 1 RB), DJ Pickett (No. 1 CB) and Kade Phillips (No. 4 CB) in the 2025 class.

When it came down to it, LSU's offer on the NIL front didn't cut it for Underwood with the dollars Michigan was willing to put up.

According to The Advocate, the offer was valued at more than $1.5 million per year, an increment of money that would have made him the highest paid player on the LSU Tigers.

The Michigan Offer: $12 Million Over Four Years

Underwood is already a household name in Michigan with the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder ending his high school career with a 50-4 record while bringing home a pair of state titles for Belleville in his freshman and sophomore campaigns.

After the decision to remain home went public, 104.5 ESPN Radio's Matt Moscona revealed the deal for Underwood reached the $12 million mark.

The deal is reportedly over a four-year stretch, according to other reports, but Moscona was the first to announce the full increment.

It's life-changing money for Underwood. There have been several reports over the last few weeks on the amount it would be with numbers hovering around the $10.5 million mark, according to On3 Sports, but it appears the number went up as the Early Signing Period inched closer.

Comparing LSU Football's NIL Offer to the Michigan Wolverines for Bryce Underwood

Belleville (Mich.) five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood has flipped his commitment from the LSU Tigers to the Michigan Wolverines, he announced via social medi

www.si.com

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

We need to up our NIL game a bit!

 

[jonnyganas]

We need to up our NIL game a bit!

PJ has said that we are a transformational program, not a transactional program. RTB!

 

[Some guy]

It’ll be pretty funny if he is just kind of ok


College football is maybe stupid. This is a higher number than the cap hit number of multiple nfl starters. Including;
Baker mayfield
Tua
CJ stroud
Sam Darnold

 

[MNVCGUY]

If you are going to drop 3 million a year why not grab one of the more established QBs as opposed to sinking that kind of money into a freshman? Sure he might be good but high school recruits are no guarantee. Look at Raiola for Nebraska, he may be really good at some point but right now he is very much playing like a true freshman and over his last 5 games has 2 TD and 7 INT.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

PJ has said that we are a transformational program, not a transactional program. RTB!

Aye aye Captain .

Play to Your Strengths; there’s more transformational than transactional talent in them there lakes.

 

[MNVCGUY]

We need to up our NIL game a bit!

I'm ok with not playing in the pool with the helmet schools. We weren't able to land players like this before open Pay for Play so nothing has really changed except now the schools are forced to come up with ridiculous sums of money to get those players they used to be able to get with much smaller amounts under the table most likely.

 

[GopherFanatic19]

I think when these players become more busts then success you might see money come down. If I’m gonna spend that do like the other poster said, get someone who proved it already. Crazy money, wish it was us. Good for him.

 

[GopherEnEspaña]

If you are going to drop 3 million a year why not grab one of the more established QBs as opposed to sinking that kind of money into a freshman? Sure he might be good but high school recruits are no guarantee. Look at Raiola for Nebraska, he may be really good at some point but right now he is very much playing like a true freshman and over his last 5 games has 2 TD and 7 INT.

From the Michigan standpoint, the kid is supposed to be the real deal. Fresh off a championship, you can't let the 5* phenom from Detroit leave the state.

 

[MNVCGUY]

From the Michigan standpoint, the kid is supposed to be the real deal. Fresh off a championship, you can't let the 5* phenom from Detroit leave the state.

I get it from a PR standpoint and maybe the kid will be great right away but coming off of this current season there is going to be a ton of pressure on Moore to win next year and putting your faitin in a true freshman is risky.

 

[upnorthkid]

From the Michigan standpoint, the kid is supposed to be the real deal. Fresh off a championship, you can't let the 5* phenom from Detroit leave the state.

So was Dylan raiola. Evaluating hs QBs is nowhere remotely near an exact science. I’d go the Kurtis rourke route every time if given the chance

 

[upnorthkid]

I get it from a PR standpoint and maybe the kid will be great right away but coming off of this current season there is going to be a ton of pressure on Moore to win next year and putting your faitin in a true freshman is risky.

Another acceptable word would be dumb. This Michigan team was not just a qb away either. Their line was mediocre and receivers outside Loveland bad

 

[RememberMurray]

This makes me think about team chemistry and cohesion. I'm assuming they can't pay their entire roster a comparable amount.

Then again, coaches could possibly use it for motivation: "If you want a new Lamborghini like our superstar freshman over there, you need to earn it".

 

[MNVCGUY]

This makes me think about team chemistry and cohesion. I'm assuming they can't pay their entire roster a comparable amount.

Then again, coaches could possibly use it for motivation: "If you want a new Lamborghini like our superstar freshman over there, you need to earn it".

The locker room dynamic at the helmet schools and places where the big money is being tossed around has to be an issue. Saban flat out referenced player attitude as part of his reason for retiring.

Can only imagine what it is like when the team sees some hotshot freshman get a huge payday before even taking a snap in college and then if that kid doesn't pan out the fracture would be even greater.

Shame to see what the college game is becomming.....still love it but it is losing a lot of what used to make college athletics special.

 

[RememberMurray]

The locker room dynamic at the helmet schools and places where the big money is being tossed around has to be an issue. Saban flat out referenced player attitude as part of his reason for retiring.

Can only imagine what it is like when the team sees some hotshot freshman get a huge payday before even taking a snap in college and then if that kid doesn't pan out the fracture would be even greater.

Shame to see what the college game is becomming.....still love it but it is losing a lot of what used to make college athletics special.

To be fair, the picture we painted in our minds of the good old days of pure amateur athletics and "student athletes" was never all that true to life. Money has always made the world go around, at least to some extent.

It has definitely gotten bigger, and more blatant. It's mostly all in the open now. It makes it harder to pretend otherwise.

 

[MNVCGUY]

To be fair, the picture we painted in our minds of the good old days of pure amateur athletics was never all that true to life. Money always made the world go around, at least to some extent.

It has gotten bigger, and more blatant. It's mostly all in the open now.

There has always been money trading hands and what not but not like what is going on now.

In the past when a player committed to a school there was a really good chance they would finish their college career at that same school.

The level of greed on the part of all parties has really put a dent in what made the college game special and separated it from the pro game. Is what it is but is a shame to see the direction things are headed with seemingly no real end in site.

 

[GophersInIowa]

True freshman QBs starting doesn't go well a lot more often than it does. I'm assuming he will be given the starting job with that kind of money. Which means it could be another rough year for them. The alternative is to use that same money to bring in a more experienced transfer while still bringing in a high end recruit to sit for at least a year.

 

[MNVCGUY]

True freshman QBs starting doesn't go well a lot more often than it does. I'm assuming he will be given the starting job with that kind of money. Which means it could be another rough year for them. The alternative is to use that same money to bring in a more experienced transfer while still bringing in a high end recruit to sit for at least a year.

I would also assume that there were assurances made that they would not bring in another QB in order to get him to flip his commitment but who knows.

Banking on true freshman at any position is a crap shoot but especially at QB. No matter how talented a kid is the jump from high school to power 4 is massive. Some can handle it, most need some time to get physically stronger and adjust to the speed of the game.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

BS.

Let’s see the contract.

 

[leib0039]

I agree with the posts saying I'd go after known quantities at QB. Dillon Gabriel, Cam Ward. Rourke, Howard types. Feels way safer. I guess when you have unlimited money it doesn't matter if you swing and miss, you just pay another kid so.

 

[upnorthkid]

forgot this is the high school that hired Stalions

 

[Jack jones]

So what happens if he has an ACL in the first practice sessions? Is there a clause to not pay?

 

[Word]

For comparison, this is about the same salary Jordan Addison or Blake Cashman makes for the Vikings.

 

[MaxyJR1]

It’ll be pretty funny if he is just kind of ok


College football is maybe stupid. This is a higher number than the cap hit number of multiple nfl starters. Including;
Baker mayfield
Tua
CJ stroud
Sam Darnold

I think I’d pay someone who has played at the college level than a kid out of HS.

 

[Gopher Ally]

I don’t even have words for this ludicrous amount of money. This can’t be sustainable, the NCAA has created a monster

 

[drewhaus7]

Pretty soon pro players are going to want their eligibility back!

 

[upnorthkid]

It’ll be pretty funny if he is just kind of ok


College football is maybe stupid. This is a higher number than the cap hit number of multiple nfl starters. Including;
Baker mayfield
Tua
CJ stroud
Sam Darnold

to be fully equal, the number is spread across 4 years supposedly. so not quite the same. But yeah 0% blame him and it would be hilarious if he just came out and flat said it that he flipped for the money. will be curious to see what happens if LSU drums up the money to match it what happens.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I agree with the posts saying I'd go after known quantities at QB. Dillon Gabriel, Cam Ward. Rourke, Howard types. Feels way safer. I guess when you have unlimited money it doesn't matter if you swing and miss, you just pay another kid so.

The following season sure....but that doesn't help the coaches job security. A place like Michigan can tolerate the occasional mediocre/bad season but you stack a few together and you won't be the head coach there long.

 

[Panthadad2]

Michigan is a bit desperate. None of the QBs they fielded this year are special. They recruited a high 4-star QB this year as freshman, but he must not be the answer. Some of Michigan's problem is they graduated much of their great offensive line last year, but still.

I suppose this situation is a bit different in that the QB recruit is a local kid. Kind of like keeping a Joe Mauer at home.

 

[1983]

Obscene. This will never get paid out in full.