By Hunt Palmer
Michigan just held LSU’s nose and baptized the Tigers into the new era of college football.
Nick Saban unlocked LSU’s full potential 25 years ago, and the program has ridden that wave to three national titles and a shot at a fourth. Outside of Saban’s final stop, no program in college football has enjoyed a ride with higher highs over that period.
In a sport clearly defined with “haves and have nots”, LSU was most certainly a “have”. The combination of Southeastern Conference cash flow, deeply fertile recruiting grounds, unbridled passion and newfound elite play made LSU a force in the sport.
All of those still exist, but now a much larger factor is in more in play than ever—booster funds.
Bryce Underwood’s decommitment on Thursday came on the heels of nationally credible reports that Michigan was willing to spend more than $10 million to get Underwood to campus for three seasons.
Underwood didn’t drive 35 minutes to Ann Arbor to reassess things. He flew 1100 miles to Baton Rouge a handful of times. He didn’t watch a Michigan passing game take off under Sherrone Moore’s head coaching direction. The Wolverines rank dead last in the Big 10 in passing. They’re four yards per game behind Iowa.
Michigan–rightly I might add–dropped a bag of cash on the table. LSU simply isn’t in position to compete with that.
While university endowments aren’t a perfect barometer for NIL recruiting budgets, a disparity this wide paints the picture well enough.
Michigan’s endowment is reportedly $19.2 billion. LSU’s is just north of $1 billion. That’s Old Man Potter against Bailey Bros. Bank & Loan.
Underwood’s camp said all the right things. They prioritized LSU’s coaching staff and development. They insisted the NFL would provide financial security once Bryce landed that second contract. They visited LSU for camps and big weekends and games.
When all of that is in play, LSU is a hell of a sell. When money becomes the singular issue, the Tigers will struggle to keep up with a handful of schools around the country when dealing with the best of the best.
And that’s a gut punch to Brian Kelly, Joe Sloan and the entire LSU football machine.
The staff put three long years into selling the program and its merits. It was enough to fight every suiter off as well as add topflight players to the class around Underwood. And now they have to stomach the fact that there was ultimately nothing they could have done without a booster or 40 standing guard with a blank check.
For many, Underwood signaled the next true hope for LSU to compete for a championship. The last month has soured the fan base on plenty, and for good reason. LSU has faceplanted since halftime of the Texas A&M game, and the program is currently looking up at Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas in the SEC.
Recruiting classes bring hope, and Underwood would have been among the highest rated to ever ink with LSU. Now that hope has been ripped away, and the quarterback situation looks bleak.
Nussmeier has sputtered to the finish line in his first season as the starter, and the backups behind him currently qualify as projects and depth pieces. LSU hasn’t pushed for any quarterbacks outside of Underwood in this cycle.
Disaster, right? Maybe.
Keep in mind that every December produces a crop of Cam Wards, Quinn Ewerses, Dillon Gabriels, Jaxson Darts and Jayden Danielses. LSU now has a significant amount of money to go shopping.
Kelly and Sloan can bang a table or four in frustration Thursday night, but work remains to be done.
Underwood may well be Travor Lawrence, Tim Tebow or Bryce Young, the next No. 1 quarterback to do amazing things. He may be DJ Uiagalelei or Shea Patterson. That’s none of LSU’s concern right now.
The rest of the 2025 class must be. Keep the checkbook handy.
