Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Michigan Flips No. 1 QB Bryce Underwood With Reported Eight-Figure NIL Deal

The Belleville, Mich., recruit became the second five-star quarterback to flip his commitment this week.

Detroit Free Press

Bryce Underwood became the second five-star quarterback to flip his commitment this week, spurning LSU for his hometown Michigan Wolverines on Thursday. 

Before Underwood officially flipped, reports were swirling Michigan was preparing a massive offer. On3 reported last week that Michigan offered Underwood $10.5 million over four years, while ESPN Louisiana radio host Matt Moscona said Thursday the figure reached $12 million

Underwood is the No. 1 recruit in the nation for the 2025 class, according to ESPN’s rankings. He hails from Belleville, Mich., just a half hour’s drive from the Wolverines’ campus in Ann Arbor. Coincidentally, former Wolverines staffer Connor Stalions is an assistant coach at Belleville High School. Stalions infamously was at the center of Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal during its 2023 national championship season. 

Regardless, it appears the figure was several multiples of LSU’s offer. The Tigers offered Underwood around $1.5 million per year, according to numerous reports. Had Underwood stuck with his commitment, he would have been LSU’s highest-paid player, according to The Advocate. 

Underwood’s flip came a day after Julian Lewis, who is right behind Underwood in ESPN’s rankings, committed to Colorado days after backing off his pledge to USC. 

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