Woah! Now that’s what you call success. Looks like Michigan Wolverines quarterback commit Bryce Underwood is not going to lose the spotlight from over him anytime soon. Over the past few months, being the No.1 recruit, he had kept the college football programs on their toes. Did you know that Sherrone Moore’s program received NIL funding from billionaire Larry Ellison, the software and media tycoon? 

Yes, that’s how much of a hot target Underwood has been. Looks like the Underwood hype was not at all overrated. The young chap is still climbing the ladder and has reached a new height. 

A big win for Bryce Underwood

Moore might be letting out a sigh of relief. After all, the tug-of-war has been all worth it. As we all know, the Wolverines had to snatch away Underwood from Brian Kelly’s LSU Tigers. The Michigan HC was right when he said this wasn’t a one-time effort, but rather a blueprint for future recruiting. So, the Wolverines didn’t mind shelling out approximately $10 million to flip the quarterback anymore. Why so? They now have someone after their year-long QB woes, who is making waves in recruiting history. 

On January 30, Equity Sports dropped the big news. It had Underwood’s poster with a screenshot from On3 that read, “NEW: Michigan QB signee Bryce Underwood is the first recruit to ever receive a 100 rating from On3.” On that note,  247 Sports’ Clint Brewster compared Underwood to other No.1 recruits, “It’s going to be impossible to keep Underwood off the field, and I would expect him to have a similar impact as some other talented freshman signal-callers we’ve seen in the past like Terrelle Pryor and Jalen Hurts.” 

Terrelle Pryor was the No.1 recruit in the class of 2008. He later led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a 10-3 season. And what about Jalen Hurts? The No.1 dual-threat quarterback of the 2016 class helped Alabama to a 14-1 campaign. Right now, there lies a big challenge in front of Underwood. It is to revive a Michigan offense that was pedestrian in 2024. Someone will have to lift the Wolverines who ranked 113th in scoring last season. When it came to passing, Moore’s program was even worse. They ranked 131 averaging only 129.1 yards per game. Will Underwood be able to bring back the good ol’ golden days?  

A closer look at Bryce Underwood’s potential 

The Director of Scouting and Rankings, Charles Power doubled down on the rankings in comparison to other quarterback legends, “The combination of size, arm talent, and athleticism is reminiscent of players like Josh Allen and Cam Newton.” So, in this way, Underwood now has big roles to fill. Cam Newton paved his path to the NFL by leading Auburn to a national championship and winning the Heisman Trophy. Finally, in 2015, he won the NFL MVP award. Similarly, Josh Allen is one of the most dominant dual-threat QBs in the league today.

Will Underwood be able to match up to their level? Wolverines fans already know about his elite arm talent. However, his athleticism is still a bit underrated. That’s when Underwood’s comparison with Vince Young comes into play. Many believe that Young could not throw the ball as well as Underwood does.  

Not to forget how Bryce Underwood was the guy who led Belleville to a 13-1 record and a third straight appearance in the Michigan Division 1 championship in 2023. Carrying a strong resume with completing 179 out of 276 passes for 3,329 yards with 44 touchdowns, you know how he fits the bill as QB1. The universe has already gifted him the titles to make Underwood come up with the much-needed push to boost Michigan’s luck.