"We don't do four stars at Michigan": Dave Portnoy lauds Michigan's steal of 5-star QB Bryce Underwood from LSU

By Maliha

Modified Nov 23, 2024 12:53 GMT

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Five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood's flip from LSU to Michigan came out of nowhere, as everyone thought he would stay true to his initial pledge. A notable person involved in the Wolverines' pursuit of the signal-caller is Dave Portnoy, the founder and owner of Barstool Sports.

After Sherrone Moore and his coaching staff successfully flipped Underwood on Thursday, Portnoy came up with a celebratory clip on his X account.

"How's everyone doing out there?" Portnoy said, wearing a crown and holding a scepter. "QB No. 1. No. 1. Not in the town, not in the district, not in the state, QB No. 1 in the country. Recruit No. 1 in the country. We don't do four stars at Michigan. We do five stars. We do No. 1 recruits in the country. We do national champions."

Underwood plays for Belleville High School in Michigan, just seven miles from the Wolverines' stadium, so the school wanted to keep the in-state talent. Michigan had a four-star quarterback committed in the 2025 class in Carter Smith, who decommitted after seeing the school's affinity for Underwood.

Portnoy also aimed a jab at Ohio State superfan and alum "Big Ev."

"Did I know a fat boy from Ohio State, Big Ed, was making fun of us this morning? That he'd be eating his words by dawn? Of course I did. Because that's what we do in Michigan. QB No. 1. Ha ha ha ha. It is crazy we did."

Several recruiting analysts spoke about some other alternative targets for Bryce Underwood, and some even speculated that Michigan's 2026 class quarterback commit Brady Hart might reclassify to the 2025 class to fill up the QB gap. However, the Wolverines successfully secured Underwood and kept him at home.

Dave Portnoy remains humble in his pursuit of Bryce Underwood

In September, Dave Portnoy boldly said he would be willing to offer NIL deals to secure Bryce Underwood, claiming he would offer anywhere from $1 million to $3 million. No exact details have surfaced about how much financial support he contributed, but he was reportedly part of the larger $12 million NIL package aimed at convincing Underwood to flip from LSU.

However, Portnoy addressed that a lot of other people made the move happen in a post on X.

"Im getting tons of credit online for flipping Bryce. While I love credit reality is I played a tiny roll. Rest assured there are Michigan Men + Women out there making things happen behind the scenes. I've never been more confident that Mich is poised to dominate in this new world."

It was not just Portnoy and the Michigan coaching staff, even the Wolverines fans played a big part in Underwood's move. Earlier this month, several Michigan fans packed Saline High School to watch Bryce Underwood lead Belleville to a decisive 42-7 victory in the Division I MHSAA regional finals. Even Michigan legend and NFL GOAT Tom Brady reportedly contributed to the recruiting effort.