Michigan Football: Sherrone Moore explains how Wolverines flipped Bryce Underwood from LSU
It’s well noted that current Michigan QB Bryce Underwood grew up a Michigan fan and actually wanted to attend the University of Michigan. But the No. 1 overall prospect in the country didn’t take straight path from Belleville to Ann Arbor. In fact, it seemed as though the possibility of Underwood becoming a Wolverine came to an end when he committed to LSU just days before Michigan won the national championship over Washington on January 8, 2024.
But after nearly a year of being committed to LSU, Underwood had a change of heart and flipped his commitment to the University of Michigan on November 21, 2024. It was a stunning flip for the Wolverines, hauling in the highest-rated quarterback in program history.
So, how did it all happen? Obviously NIL played a massive role, but Sherrone Moore also indicated that he made it a priority to rebuild the relationship with Underwood shortly after taking over as head coach.
“We rebuilt the relationship,” Moore said. “We already had one, but we rebuilt it when I became the head coach. And it was a long process. We’ve been recruiting him since he’s been committed to LSU, and as we know in recruiting that always happens, you know? If you’re not talking to your player, somebody else is.”
Underwood also expressed concerns about Michigan’s lack of development at the quarterback position, something he indicated during an interview prior to flipping. There’s little doubt that those concerns were addressed by Moore as he continued to recruit Underwood, potentially playing a role in Moore bringing in offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey from North Carolina.
It’s clear that the effort to keep Underwood home required a multi-layered approach from Moore and his staff, and they were able to pull it off. From a full embrace of Michigan’s NIL power, to making sure the right pieces were in place on both the staff and the roster, the Wolverines were able to haul in a guy who’s already being projected as a future first-round draft selection.
