Top Recruit Partners with Michigan's NIL Collective to Open Merch Store

The Michigan Wolverine's NIL Collective is receiving help from an unlikely source as they work to open a merch store.

Belleville quarterback Bryce Underwood keeps the ball and runs against Saline during the second half of district final at Belleville High School in Belleville on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Michigan Wolverines made national headlines last Thursday night, and for the first time in quite some time, it was good news that was making the waves.

After a weeks-long battle with the LSU Tigers, the Wolverines were finally able to pry away the number one recruit in the country for the class of 2025, quarterback Bryce Underwood.

It was a hard-fought battle on both sides, but Underwood, a Michigan native, is now set to stay close to home and suit up for Michigan when the 2025 season rolls around.

It did not take much time for the quarterback to get to work on the momentum that his commitment flipping had from a Name, Image, and Likeness perspective, either.

Underwood has partnered with the Wolverines' NIL Collective, Champions Circle, and Valiant Management to release autographed trading cards and jersey t-shirts, which are currently available for preorder, graphic t-shirts are being rolled out, too.

They will serve as new pathways to NIL money that Underwood will receive, on top of the reported four-year, $10.5 million contract that the quarterback signed with Michigan.

“I am beyond excited to announce my commitment to the University of Michigan,” Underwood said in a statement on the NIL collective’s website. “Growing up here, it’s been a lifelong dream to wear the Maize and Blue. I’m ready to give my all for this team, this university, and our incredible fans."

Champions Circle said in a press release that Jolin and Larry Ellison, the co-founder of the software company Oracle, were instrumental pieces in making the Underwood commitment happen.

Underwood is listed at 6-4, 214 pounds, and he has finished his high school football career with a 50-4 record while winning state championships as a freshman and a sophomore.

Earlier this year, the signal caller broke the Michigan high school passing touchdown record when he threw his 125th career touchdown; it was a record that was in place since 2016 when Mason Gee-Montgomery ended his high school career with 124 passing touchdowns.

Underwood now has a chance to compete for National Championships close to home, while also making life-changing money through NIL in the process, an opportunity that would be hard to pass up by many.