The Buzz: The Latest on the No. 1 Quarterback in America, LSU Commit Bryce Underwood

Underwood remains committed to the LSU Tigers, Early Signing Period inching closer.

Belleville quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) calls for a snap against River Rouge during the first half of Prep Kickoff Classic at Wayne State University's Tom Adams Field in Detroi on Friday, August 25, 2023. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Belleville (Mich.) five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood sent shockwaves across the college football recruiting scene after revealing a commitment to the LSU Tigers in January.

Now, nearly 10 months after verbally pledging to Brian Kelly's program, Underwood remains dialed in with the Bayou Bengals.

After committing to LSU, Underwood shut down his recruitment. He hasn't visited other programs whether it be officially or unofficially while only taking trips to Baton Rouge.

The No. 1 player in America is a program-changing prospect with evaluators salivating at the potential he attains at the next level and beyond.

A look into what 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Irvins had to say of Underwood:

The 247Sports Evaluation: "Potential franchise signal caller with the ideal blend of size, arm talent and athleticism. Exhibited no shortage of field command midway through senior season, which makes sense given resume: over 48 career starts and upwards of 165 touchdowns accounted for. Those numbers are amplified even more by the fact that he’s extremely young for the grade and won’t turn 20 years old until his third year of college. Has continued to improve as a passer and has gotten much more in tune with his mechanics.

"Projects as a multi-year impact player for a College Football Playoff contender that has a chance to eventually emerge as a first-round pick in the NFL Draft with his tools. Might need a semester or two to find his footing, but ability to hunt big plays and distribute on the move could be hard to keep off the field even if he’s still learning how to dissect complex defenses."

Now, as we near crunch time until prospects can put pen to paper during the Early Signing Period in December, the Michigan Wolverine buzz has become a hot topic.

Underwood, a Michigan native, has been heavily recruited by the Wolverines during his recruiting process over the last three-plus years.

It's been clear through Underwood's actions that the five-star signal-caller is locked in with the Tigers, but it hasn't stopped Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore from reaching out to the quarterback to keep communication flowing.

On3 Sports Recruiting Expert Steve Wiltfong chimes in:

"As head coach Sherrone Moore and Michigan make their big push to the Early Signing Period, they currently sit on On3’s No. 12 ranked recruiting class. One prospect they’ve continued to have dialogue with is On3’s No. 1 prospect in Bryce Underwood. Committed to LSU, that’s a recruitment to monitor moving forward. I do believe the dialogue with the Wolverines is real. We’ll see how things continue to develop there. If Michigan were to land Underwood, I think that would open the eye of a few others before pens hit papers."

Underwood has been labeled as a "program-changing" prospect with the LSU Tigers keeping their foot on the gas for his services.

LSU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan has taken this recruitment and ran with it over the last year.

A players coach, Sloan has become a critical piece to the recruiting success in Baton Rouge and Underwood is another product of that.

Now, as the clock begins to dwindle down until the Early Signing Period, all signs point towards Underwood putting pen to paper with the Tigers.

Underwood's camp and LSU have not had communication waver. He's remained in constant contact with the Bayou Bengals during his process as he begins lining up an official visit.

The No. 1 quarterback has visited Baton Rouge on several occasions unofficially, but with an official visit remaining, Underwood will be back in the Bayou State once more before December as they line up an official.

No. 16 LSU will take on the Alabama Crimson Tide on Nov. 9 in a pivotal SEC showdown between a pair of programs looking to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.

More LSU News:

Instant Takeaways: No. 8 LSU Falls to No. 14 Texas A&M in College Station

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.