Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 ESPN recruiting rankings, verbally committed to the University of Michigan Thursday and Wolverine fans could have Dave Portnoy to thank.
The five-star quarterback flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan, confirming the news on social media in a video captioned ‘Hometown Hero.’
After committing to LSU on January 6, 2024, Underwood had been the crown jewel of Brian Kelly’s 2025 class but Michigan reportedly maintained contact with the prospect.
And part of those communications seemingly included phone conversations between Portnoy and Underwood’s family.
The Barstool Sports founder took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to celebrate Underwood’s commitment to his beloved Wolverines.
‘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,’ Portnoy emphatically declared, while wearing a sapphire-jeweled crown and waving around a scepter.
‘We don’t do four stars at Michigan. We do five stars. We do No. 1 recruits in the country. We do national champions,’ Portnoy, a Michigan alum, continued.
‘Now everyone’s like, “Dave, how much were you involved?” Listen, there’s a lot of other factors, I’m not going to spout from my mouth and say this that and the other. [But] Was I involved in the call with the family? Are they lovely people? Did we pitch a plan? Of course we did!
‘Because that’s what we do in Michigan. QB No. 1. Hahaha it’s great to be king!’
The Michigan native went on to make a bold claim alongside his celebratory video.
‘Welcome to Michigan Bryce Underwood!!! And just like that we’re back! #goblue,’ Portnoy declared in the caption.
Underwood, a 6-foot-4, 210-pounder, is a Michigan native, playing at Belleville High School – situated less than 30 minutes from Michigan Stadium.
Michigan had reportedly stepped up its pursuit of Underwood over the past couple of months, pitching a competitive NIL package, according to ESPN.
Underwood’s commitment marks a one of the most significant pledges since Sherrone Moore replaced Jim Harbaugh.
It also signals the arrival of a potentially program-defining quarterback after the Wolverines have struggled to identify a replacement for JJ McCarthy after clinching the 2023 national championship title.
If Underwood does indeed sign with the Wolverines on December 4, he will be the first No. 1 recruit to join Michigan since the program inked defensive tackle Rashan Gary in 2016.
