This is worse than Anakin flipping over to the dark side. Bryce Underwood was dandy. Flexing that $15k moissanite chain with an iced-out LSU logo got everyone thinking Brian Kelly has finally found his future quarterback. Well, that didn’t last long, huh? 4 years, $10 million. Yeah, being the No.1 QB for the 2025 class does come with a price tag. And fortunately for Wolverines fans, this was pocket change for Sherrone Moore and UM. Bryce Underwood was secured, and what’s left is to focus on how to bring back the good old Jim Harbaugh glory days back to the Michigan Wolverines. But hey, rewind a bit. This entire Underwood flip: Do you think Bryce RKO’d Kelly and jumped ship because of the money? Or was it all for “education”?

“Bryce Underwood didn’t flip because he loved Sharon Moore or he wanted to be a Michigan man or wanted to stay close to home or any of those things,” was what Matt Moscona had to say. Let’s be real here. If it wasn’t the ‘money’, wouldn’t Underwood just stick with Michigan when he initially visited UM last year during Jim Harbaugh’s natty season? Underwood stuck around with LSU for at least a year. “Is it true they blessing you like that?” Yeah, if you are gonna sign a deal worth more than $10 million at this point, you gonna get questions like these shoved to your face. And well, Underwood simply answered with “It’s for sure something”. What else do you even need to break down that entire ‘education’ front?

We do agree that UM is far better than LSU when it comes down to education. Michigan is ranked 21st nationally and LSU comes in around 179. So, in hindsight, the ‘education’ excuse was a good one, but Underwood could be more honest. Like, there is zero shame in admitting that you jumped ship for millions. Any normal person would do that.

For Kelly and LSU fans, yes, it created quite a problem, but now that they have managed to bring out a whole $9 million for the transfer portal, they are in a much better spot. However, this entire deal raises 2 very important questions: 1. Is College Football all about the money, now? 2. Can Underwood deal with the pressure of being the starter from day 1?

See, Nick Saban made his stance way back. It ain’t wrong for the players to exploit the NIL factors. But when we look at it from the NFL perspective, it will end up creating some issues when the draft rolls in. Yeah, you get the No.1 player from high school, but he fumbles so badly that it causes a NIL buyout and boom! All that money, potential, and resources? Wasted. This entire Underwood x Michigan scene could end up being a similar ticking time bomb.

The flip side of the Michigan deal

If you wanna be the Michigan man this bad, then you gotta get it in your head that 2025 should be the year of comeback. We won’t lie. We all thought that Sherrone Moore was done with how the Wolverines’ season turned out. However, with that one massive win over the Bucks, Moore managed to create history. 4th a consecutive win, but this time, it was done without Harbaugh and with a below-average QB depth.

And now that Moore has Underwood on, he would expect this guy to drop right in, and well, “He better be ready mentally to take that on.” Right after spring practice is over, it is expected that Underwood ends up becoming the starting QB and with such a hefty price tag, Michigan would definitely expect him to perform on a whole new level. 

We would like to add that Underwood is an exceptional player. He has that ‘pocket courage’, and he never waivers under pressure. He is exceptional, but as a high school athlete. He has not tasted college football. And no matter how much people try to cover it up, a player coming out of high school can’t be instantly good at college football.

Like, did people forget what happened to Dylan Raiola? True Freshman starting for the Huskers was massive in the first 3-4 games, and then what? More interceptions and turnovers than touchdowns or long shots. Michigan still has Jadyn Davis, so if Underwood stumbles and falls, Davis could take over.

But then again, the dilemma remains: you get the No.1 player for millions, but what if it backfires?