MSU Rival Michigan Has Odd Response to Potentially Losing Top Target
The Michigan Wolverines did just about everything they could to flip No. 1-ranked 2025 quarterback prodigy Bryce Underwood from LSU.
They offered him $10 million in NIL over four years. They even let their push for Underwood push other prospects away. They lost a four-star quarterback commit because of it.
Then Underwood visited LSU this past weekend and just about every insider is saying the same thing -- Michigan's dreams are likely to be dashed.
247Sports national recruiting insider Tom Loy gave some more insight on Thursday.
"If you talk to people around the Michigan program, there's a lot of optimism that he's going to land in Ann Arbor," Loy said. "However, after this past weekend's trip to LSU, some of that optimism has dwindled. I would call it hope at this point. When you talk to people around the LSU program, they feel great. They fully expect him. He's maintained his commitment. He's been locked in ever since. This is a great opportunity for him. LSU feels great. Michigan is hopeful. We'll see what happens. Right now, national analyst Allen Trieu and I both lean towards LSU keeping him in its class."
Interesting was Michigan's reaction, apparently. Per Andrew Ivins, a national recruiting analyst, both Michigan and LSU need Underwood desperately.
"He's evolved as a senior," Ivins said. "He's shown an ability to run the football right and extend plays. We knew he could pass it. We knew he was a really talented athlete, but showing an ability to run as the second-level runner as a senior is so notable. Garrett Nussmeier is behind two potential first-round picks at offensive tackle but isn't able to really create when things break down. That hampers the offense. Michigan needs all the help they can get."
Despite Michigan's unlikely chances to land Underwood, Loy reported that the Wolverines are supposedly confident either way. They have Jadyn Davis waiting in the wings and elite 2026 signal caller Brady Hart for the future.
Still, Sherrone Moore's reaction to potentially losing out on a recruit he was willing to spend $10 million on is a bit head-scratching if they went through all that fuss to flip him in the first place.
"I also look back to Sherrone Moore saying, 'We're going to be fine' with that smirk on his face," Loy said. "Clearly, he's got something up his sleeve. At this point, I don't have a name in 2025 of who they would pivot to. I'm not even sure that they would pivot to anybody this late in the process. It's going to be a fun couple of weeks for Michigan fans. However, I still can't stop thinking about that little smirk he had. They're going to be fine."
Michael France is Sports Illustrated's Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.
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