Football Analyst reveals a reason beyond NIL deals for Bryce Underwood's flip from Brian Kelly's LSU to Michigan 

By Rotsen Rick Tidoy

Modified Nov 22, 2024 18:11 GMT

Many are still shocked after Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 recruit from the Class of 2025, flipped from the LSU Tigers to the Michigan Wolverines. However, Michigan and several backers offered him a massive multi-million NIL deal, which got fans speculating that the flip was because of the money.

However, a well-known football analyst is saying that this is not the only reason. ESPN’s Field Yates posted on X that LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is possibly returning to Baton Rouge next season. This may mean that Underwood might not be able to shine with LSU as much as he might with Michigan.

Michigan has been losing talent to the NFL left and right, and there is not much competition for the quarterback position at the school. Because of this, Bryce Underwood might get more playing time over at Ann Arbor, as the school has been lacking depth as of late. Head coach Sherrone Moore might even give him the starting position as a freshman next year.

Multiple factors were in play when Underwood decided to flip to Michigan, and one of them may be the fact that he grew up wanting to play for the Wolverines. During his announcement video on Instagram, he posted a video of his younger self saying that he wanted to play for the Michigan Wolverines.

Bryce Underwood is the No. 1 ranked overall for the Class of 2025, according to 247Sports. He is also the No. 1 ranked quarterback and the No. 1 ranked player in the state of Michigan.

Bryce Underwood previously said he would turn down the multi-million dollar NIL offer from Michigan

As for the big impact the multi-million dollar offer from Michigan played in the Bryce Underwood flip, it remains to be seen. However, he previously posted on social media that he would decline that offer.

Despite saying he would decline the offer, he still flipped to Michigan, possibly also causing other players to flip from their previous commitments and join him at Ann Arbor. This also calls into question if his posting about likely declining the offer was actually genuine.

For now, many football fans are still shocked about the flip and the possible domino effect it could bring. Many criticized Michigan because of the multi-million dollar offer, saying that this went against the school's traditions. Meanwhile, others are just happy that the No. 1 player in the Class of 2025 is staying in his home state.