They must have made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
And make that four losses in a row for the LSU football team, if the nation’s No. 1-ranked quarterback Bryce Underwood of the Detroit area holds to his new commitment – to the Michigan Wolverines.
News broke Thursday evening, according to several national outlets including ESPN with Adam Schefter, that Underwood had flipped to Michigan, which had been reportedly showering him for several weeks with Name, Image & Likeness deals in the $10 million range over four years.
Breaking: Bryce Underwood, ESPN’s No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2025, is flipping his commitment to the Michigan Wolverines, he told school officials today.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 21, 2024
It’s a big day for @umichfootball, HC Sherrone Moore and @champcircleuofm as they land the highest-rated recruit… pic.twitter.com/4afP0z2Tny
But Underwood had steadfastly kept his LSU commitment of Jan. 6, 2024 – at times even mocking the Michigan money. The early national signing period opens on Dec. 4, and at the moment LSU has no committed quarterbacks. Meanwhile, LSU rookie offensive coordinator Joe Sloan has more problems than his inconsistent offense. He was the point man on Underwood’s recruitment – so much so that many close to LSU feel his job was untouchable so long as Underwood became a Tiger.
The news comes on the heels of LSU (6-4, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) losing three straight games for the first time since 2021 before coach Brian Kelly’s arrival the next year and falling out of the top 25 for the first time since that same year. And angry and upset LSU fans have been going after Kelly big time on social media.
WHO’S CALLING THE PLAYS, AND WHO’S ON FIRST?
Underwood is the second major commitment LSU has lost to another program since its 27-16 loss on Saturday to Florida (5-5, 3-4 SEC) and struggling coach Billy Napier, formerly the Louisiana-Lafayette coach. Shortly after that game, No. 7-ranked interior offensive lineman Devin Harper (6-4, 305) of Calvary Baptist in Shreveport flipped his commitment from LSU to Ole Miss.
LSU’s current starting quarterback, junior Garrett Nussmeier, struggled with critical interceptions in losses at No. 14 Texas A&M and to No. 11 Alabama to start the losing streak before the Tigers fell to below .500 Florida last week. LSU has a better record than Michigan (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) under first-year coach Sherrone Moore, but he won this one.
Underwood (6-foot-3, 204 pounds) looks like another Jayden Daniels, the tall and thin dual threat who won the Heisman Trophy last season for LSU. As a junior in 2023, Underwood threw for 3,165 yards and 40 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He has thrown for 2,095 this season and rushed for 489 yards.
A senior at Belleville High in the Detroit suburb of Belleville, Underwood is ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation and the No. 1 quarterback by 247Sports.com.
Michigan just flipped one of Underwood’s high school teammates – No. 10 safety Elijah Dotson – on Wednesday from a commitment to Pittsburgh to the Wolverines. He had been committed to Pitt since May 18 before visiting Michigan on Nov. 1.
Underwood visited LSU on Nov. 8 – the night it lost to Alabama, 42-13, with Nussmeier fumbling to set up an Alabama touchdown and 21-6 lead late in the second quarter. Then he threw an interception from the Alabama 4-yard line into the end zone when the Tigers could have made it a one-score game. So, Underwood could have thought LSU had a QB opening.
And LSU had Underwood’s commitment for nearly 11 months, but this should not be that much of a surprise. Until Underwood put on the LSU helmet for a game, it was hard to believe a kid from Michigan country in Detroit – 43 miles from the Michigan campus – was going to fly over The Big House to the deep south.
247Sports.com quickly updated its Michigan recruiting list by adding Underwood, but it had not yet changed its rankings as of Thursday night. LSU was still No. 6 in the nation, and Michigan was No. 9.
Get ready for another flip there.
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