After reports came out early Thursday morning about a potential $10.5M NIL offer out of Ann Arbor, MI, it appears that five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood is still bound for LSU football in Baton Rouge, LA, even despite the extra incentives to stay home in Michigan.
Michigan reportedly offers No. 1 quarterback Bryce Underwood a $10.5M NIL deal
Early Thursday morning, TheWolverine.com with On3 reported that the University of Michigan is prepared to offer five-star Michigan-based quarterback Bryce Underwood upwards of $10.5M in NIL over four years.
The report came after weeks of a strong push from the Wolverine faithful to not only flip the No. 1 quarterback in America from LSU, but also to try and keep him home, as he currently attends high school in Belleville, MI.
To say the efforts from Michigan have been understandable would be an understatement. Underwood has the potential to be a generational talent, and with the Wolverines currently sitting with a record of 5-5 less than one full year removed from their national championship victory last season, head coach Sherrone Moore is likely looking to make a splash in his first full recruiting cycle.
With that said, the five-star quarterback has been committed to coach Brian Kelly and the Tigers since January 6, 2024, and has yet to take an official visit elsewhere since. If anyone were to hypothetically flip the talented signal caller before things are all said and done, it would likely require a hefty price tag, and thus far, it appears that Michigan is willing to pay.
The five-star signal caller is still expected to end up with LSU football in 2025
Important to remember through this whole process is just how much money has come to be involved in this sport over the last four or five years. According to On3, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders currently has the highest NIL valuation in the country, sitting at $6.2M, just ahead of LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, who has a valuation of right around $4.0M.
While on the surface, that money can be life changing, it’s still nothing when compared to what players can make as little as three years after taking their first snap of college ball.
In 2023, former Tiger signal caller, and current Cincinnati Bengal, Joe Burrow, signed a record breaking contract in the NFL, giving him a $55.0M salary through the 2029 season. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, on the other hand, has already signed a four-year, $37.75M deal with the Washington Commanders that notably included a $24.27M signing bonus.
While yes, these are some of the best possibly scenarios as far as potential money goes at the next level, it’s important to keep perspective on just how important positioning is in this decision. Michigan football has historically been known as a run-first football team, and just produced their second first round quarterback in their historic 145-year history. Last season, LSU football produced their second Heisman Trophy winning quarterback over the last five full seasons.
As it would turn out, it would appear that Bryce Underwood has an understanding of this part of NIL as well. Late Thursday evening, the five-star quarterback made headlines when he reposted an Instagram story headlined ‘#1 QB Likely to Decline Michigan’s $10.5M Offer.’
The post has since been deleted, but the internet lives forever, and the sentiment does as well. At the end of the day, fans and media alike will continue to debate where they think the No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2025 will ultimately end up, but until pen hits paper on national signing day, no one truly knows what the final result will be outside of the Underwood household.
The class of 2025 recruiting cycle will officially come to a close early next calendar year between February 5, 2025, and April 1, 2025 during the Division I football regular signing period. Still, as far as the Underwood recruiting saga is concerned, we may know his final decision in a little less than a month, as he’ll have an opportunity to sign his national letter of intent between December 4, 2024 and December 6, 2024, during the early signing period.
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