By Matt Moscona
BATON ROUGE, La. — Bryce Underwood loves LSU. Nobody can debate that.
He and his family have pushed double-digit visits to Baton Rouge. The No. 1 quarterback has talked openly about his relationship with LSU offensive coordinator Joe Sloan. Underwood has spoken on the record about the appeal of LSU’s ability to develop quarterbacks and help him maximize his long term NFL value. Last weekend, Underwood landed in Baton Rouge sporting a diamond encrusted tiger head chain and was greeted adoringly by LSU fans in Tiger Stadium.
For a program that’s produced two Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks in the last five seasons–both of whom have signed NFL deals that make NIL numbers look like pocket change–and more national titles this century than anyone except Nick Saban, there’s a lot to like.
Though Underwood has been committed to LSU for nearly a year, that hasn’t stopped his home state Michigan Wolverines from their pursuit. And boy, is Big Blue pulling out all the stops.
Barstool Sports founder and Michigan alum Dave Portnoy has pledged seven-figures to help Michigan land the quarterback. Shamed former Wolverines spy Connor Stallions has even landed a gig at Underwood’s high school for their playoff run–a total coincidence, I’m sure.
The latest, last-ditch Hail Mary is a reported $10.5 million offer to Underwood over four years to play in Ann Arbor.
Michigan is prepared to offer LSU 5-star QB commit Bryce Underwood $10.5M over four years, according to @TheWolverineOn3👀
Intel: https://t.co/sK99XJNx37 pic.twitter.com/1ScTodhqid
— On3 NIL (@On3NIL) November 14, 2024
The sticker shock for many is real. Look a little closer, and what’s likely to appear is eight-figures worth of egg on Michigan’s face.
Yes, $10.5 million is an enormous amount of money for anyone outside of the Musk and Bezos families. Over four years, however, that breaks down to $2.625 million per season. And does anyone really think Underwood in planning on being in school for four seasons? Now, that $10.5 million is around $7.8 million, which is larger than the LSU offer, I’m told, but is that gap enough to change Underwood’s mind? It doesn’t appear so.
Consider that the last time Underwood visited Michigan’s campus was July 2023 when Jim Harbaugh was still the coach. That means the No. 1 player in the country hasn’t stepped foot on a campus that’s roughly 30 minutes from his home since Sherrone Moore has been the head coach. Also, if development matters, there are currently only four teams in the FBS with a worse passing offense than the Wolverines, and two of them are service academies.
Would Underwood really risk potential generational wealth for a relatively small NIL gap? He’s given the recruiting world that answer time and again.
I understand where Michigan is coming from. A first-year coach is overseeing a 5-5 season with one of the worst offenses in the country. If the No. 1 player in America is 30 minutes from your campus, and you let him get out of town without attacking his recruitment from every possible angle, it’s hard to save face with your fan base. At least this way, they can say, ‘we tried everything. We event sent Connor Stallions to his high school!’
The bigger picture failure will be more damaging. Can’t you just hear the talking heads now? Michigan offered this kid $10.5 million, and he still bolted for Baton Rouge? How bad must it be in Ann Arbor? And how do you reject your current roster and future recruits’ requests for more money when they know you’re throwing around these numbers for someone who has never taken a collegiate snap?
Underwood and his tiger chain are still likely to land in Baton Rouge, and when he does, Michigan will lose a lot more than an in-state recruit.
