How Much Is Michigan Willing To Pay No.1 QB Bryce Underwood? Doesn’t Sound Like $10.5 Million Will Do It
There's not a better time to be a top high school prospect in college football, or a highly-touted quarterback that hasn't hit the transfer portal yet. In the case of the No.1 player in the country for the 2025 class, Bryce Underwood, the Michigan Wolverines are pushing their chips all-in, with a hefty sum of money at stake.
As the college athletics world continues to change under the allure of NIL, and the future of revenue sharing that's on-track to start next summer, athletes are cashing in on the future.
While there was a run on transfer quarterbacks that could change the immediate future of a football program, we never left the world where 5-star high school recruits are going to attract the attention of boosters looking to help build their favorite football team's future.
We are currently watching one bidding-war take place, just a few weeks before National Signing Day, where high school prospects will decide on where they want to play for at least a year. I say one year, well, because of the transfer portal. That has become the go-to solution for coaches across the country looking to add a veteran leader to their team, who could potentially be that one last piece to the puzzle for a title run.
Meet Bryce Underwood
In the case of Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, he's been committed to LSU since January, but that doesn't mean a school will just stop recruiting him. Hailing from Belleville High School, just down the road from the Michigan Wolverines campus, the highly-touted quarterback looks like a young man that can change the narrative for the future of a college program.
The same way Tennessee felt about Nico Iamaleava, LSU feels as though he could be the guy who helps lead them to a national championship in the coming years. But while he's been committed to the Tigers, Michigan has decided to go all-in on flipping the quarterback from just down the road from their campus.
How much are they willing to spend on a quarterback that could change the outlook for Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore? Well, how about $10.5 million over a four-year span, according to multiple reports.
So, you thought that $8 million deal for Nico Iamaleava was a lot, huh?
While folks in Baton Rouge feel very comfortable with where they stand right now, especially with Underwood visiting LSU last weekend for the Alabama game, it's still something that Underwood and his family had to contemplate. They at least had to think about it for a bit, even though he will be in great shape financially if he sticks with his commitment to LSU.
On Thursday night, Underwood posted a screenshot of an article that said the quarterback was likely to turn down the lucrative offer from Michigan. The post was deleted just before midnight, while the Detroit Free Press reported that Underwood would be sticking by his commitment to LSU.
The point is that business is only picking up when it comes to high school quarterbacks. Especially the ones who can potentially change the future for a program. There's a reason why Florida's NIL group is paying DJ Lagway nearly $100K per month for his services, because the Gators see him as a solution to their offensive problems, which is another reason why the school was hesitant on making a move regarding Billy Napier.
The Transfer Portal Will Be Profitable For College QB's, Like John Mateer
We are going to see a run on quarterback when the transfer portal opens up on December 9th. But if you think that run hasn't already started while games are being played, you're delusional. The word ‘tampering’ gets thrown around a lot right now in college athletics, but most of these conversations are happening behind the scenes, funneled through ‘agents’, or folks pretending to have the best interest of a player.
This came to light once again this week, when reporter Paul Sorensen mentioned on the ‘Old Crimson Podcast’ that his starting quarterback John Mateer has already been offered a $1 million deal from a school that wasn't named.
"He already has a ($1 million offer)," Sorenson said this week. "He does. From that perspective, and I don't know what school it is, but I know there's one sitting on the table and it's out there right now."
BOISE, ID - SEPTEMBER 28: Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer (10) looks to pass during a college football game between the Washington State Cougars and the Boise State Broncos on September 28, 2024, at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, ID. (Photo by Tyler Ingham/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
If Cougars QB John Mateer decided to leave Pullman, Washington for another school willing to offer that type of money, he'd be the second consecutive quarterback to leave the Cougars. Last year, Cam Ward left following the 2023 season and ended up at Miami. The NIL package that Cam Ward received was north of $1 million, and it's paid off for the Hurricanes offense this season, as they are in contention for a spot in the college football playoff.
No matter what happens to John Mateer at Washington State, or a player like Miller Moss from USC, we are headed towards another lucrative off-season for star athletes in college football.
And if you think teams across the country aren’t communicating with these players through back-channels, I have some ocean-front property in Kentucky that'd I love to show you.