LSU's NIL Superstar Bryce Underwood Maintains Spot as Top 2025 Quarterback

Even after the updated rankings, LSU's incoming star quarterback remains the No. 1 player at his position.

Belleville quarterback Bryce Underwood makes a pass against Southfield A&T during the first half of the Division 1 state final at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

When Brian Kelly took over as head coach of the LSU Tigers ahead of the 2022 season, the expectation was for him to get this program back into contention for a national championship.

The long-time Notre Dame coach had some limitations at his previous stop, but down in Baton Rouge with more resources to build the football team at his disposal, there's an opportunity for him to create a dominant recruiting machine like other top programs across the nation.

In the 2023 and 2024 classes, LSU finished inside the Top 10 in both.

Kelly's 2025 group has a chance to be the best he's brought to campus since he took over, and the reason for that is superstar quarterback Bryce Underwood.

For a long time, he has been viewed as the No. 1 guy at his position and in this class. He committed to the Tigers on January 6, giving them the signal caller of their future and the crown jewel of the 2025 group.

However, recruiting rankings are always subject to change, especially during the spring and summer months heading into their senior seasons, so when On3 released their updated ratings, there was a chance that Underwood might have seen his stock fall.

But, that wasn't the case.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder maintained his status as the top player at his position and in the entire class, routinely viewed as the No. 1 prospect by all four recruiting sites except Rivals.

Underwood will come to LSU with his Name, Image, and Likeness status already in place with a $1.3 million valuation according to On3. That also makes him the top high schooler in the country when it comes to NIL value.

There is a good argument to be made that he will emerge as one of the top NIL athletes in the country by the time he leaves Baton Rouge when he likely turns professional after three seasons.

How high his ceiling can be will be dependent on what he can do on the field.

Current top NIL earners like Shedeur Sanders and Arch Manning have been able to capitalize on their last names. Sanders has turned himself into a potential No. 1 overall draft pick next year and Manning is going to be the next Texas quarterback after Quinn Ewers graduates.

Underwood won't be able to use his family's past success to boost his current profile, but he will be able to do it organically by producing on the field and turning LSU back into national champions.