Five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood has flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan thanks to a $10.5 million NIL agreement.

After J.J. McCarthy left the Wolverines as a national champion, Michigan has struggled under center in 2024. However, on Thursday, Underwood – the No. 2 player in the country per Rivals – verbally committed to his hometown program after de-committing from LSU.

Underwood represents the first five-star player to sign with the Wolverines since cornerback Will Johnson, who established himself as one of the best defensive backs in college football and will likely be a premier selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Michigan has missed out on high-profile in-state quarterbacks in recent years and desperately needed a strong prospect to overhaul the offense under first-year head coach Sherrone Moore.

Underwood, the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 ESPN 300 recruiting rankings, announced the news with a video on social media featuring the caption “Hometown Hero.” With his flip, the 17-year-old becomes the highest-rated commit in Michigan program history and the top prospect in Moore’s inaugural recruiting class.

Remarkably, Underwood plays for Belleville High School, the same school that currently employs ex-Michigan assistant Connor Stalions, who was disgraced following his alleged advance scouting scheme that became the storyline of the 2023 college football season. But the teenager has led the Tigers to back-to-back state titles in his first two seasons under center, then earned Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a junior in 2023 while completing 64.8 percent of his passes for 3,329 yards and 44 touchdowns.

With only one regular-season loss since Sept. 2021, Underwood and Belleville entered the state playoffs this month as favorites to claim the program’s third state championship in four years. He had been committed to LSU since January 2024, only for Michigan to entice him thanks to a competitive NIL package.

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Bryce Underwood has starred for Belleville High School in Michigan

Bryce Underwood has starred for Belleville High School in Michigan ( 

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If Underwood signs with the Wolverines, he will become the first No. 1 overall recruit to join the program since defensive tackle Rashan Rary in 2016. Underwood also would join Gary and defensive backs Jabrill Peppers (2014 class) and Dax Hill (2019) as the only five-star prospects to land in Ann Arbor since 2006, while he represents the Wolverines’ highest-ranked quarterback pledge since Ryan Mallett in the 2007 class.

Michigan, the defending national champions, is just 5-5 with two games to go in the regular season thanks to poor quarterback play. Davis Warren, Alex Orji, and Jack Tuttle have each started, combining to complete under 60 percent of their passes with nine touchdowns and interceptions apiece.

Warren and Orji hold eligibility beyond this season, as does former 2024 four-star quarterback prospect Jadyn Davis. If Underwood signs in December, he could enroll at Michigan early and participate in spring practices to ensure he hits the ground running in college football.

The commitment comes on the same day Deion Sanders’ Colorado secured five-star quarterback Julian Lewis. The No. 6 player in the country, he recently de-committed from USC.