FILE - Fleaux quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) during the OT7 Orlando football tournament against Raw, April 27, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Bryce Underwood, the top-rated football recruit in the country, flipped to Michigan after pledging to play at LSU, a person familiar with the decision said Thursday night.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the recruit’s plans to join the Wolverines.
Underwood pinned a post on his Instagram account, showing a post from On3.com that reported he has committed to Michigan.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound quarterback played at Belleville High School, which is about 15 miles east of Ann Arbor, and told LSU nearly a year ago that he intended to play there.
Underwood and his family wore LSU jewelry in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, earlier this month when Alabama beat the Tigers 42-13.
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore, whose debut season has been stunted by the lack of a productive quarterback, continued to recruit Underwood with the help of a name, image and likeness collective, and it paid off.
With a player as highly regarded as Underwood, NIL offers can reach $5 million to $10 million.
Michigan has partnered with a collective, Champions Circle, to create opportunities for athletes to make money, and the group responded to Underwood’s commitment.
“ We are very excited to keep Bryce home in Michigan as he continues to build his legacy,” Nate Forbes, founding member and chairman of Champions Circle, said in a statement.
Underwood’s commitment gives the defending national champion Wolverines a jolt of hope.
Michigan (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) has to beat Northwestern (4-6, 2-5) on Saturday to become bowl eligible before closing the season on the road against second-ranked rival Ohio State.
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