Bryce Underwood, no. 1 2025 recruit, turns to Michigan from LSU

Five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, the overall No. 1 in the 2025 ESPN 300 recruiting rankings, has flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan, he confirmed on social media Thursday.

Underwood announced the news with a video added to Instagram Story with the caption “Hometown Hero”.

The move comes amid critical recruiting, particularly at the quarterback position, just 13 days from the start of the early signing period.

Underwood, a 6-foot-4, 210-pounder from Belleville, Michigan, is the top pocket passer in the class. With his flip, he becomes the highest-rated commit in Michigan program history and the top prospect in Sherrone Moore’s first recruiting class, currently ranked No. 14 in ESPN’s latest team rankings for the 2025 cycle.

Underwood’s move comes as the latest piece of seismic quarterback movement atop the 2025 class ahead of the start of the early signing period on Dec. 4. Five-star quarterback Julian Lewis decommitted from USC on Nov. 17 and subsequently committed to Colorado earlier Thursday.

Committed to LSU since Jan. 6, 2024, Underwood remained the crown jewel of Brian Kelly’s 2025 class over the past 11 months. Still, Michigan stayed in touch with Underwood throughout his senior season at Belleville High School — located less than 30 minutes from Michigan Stadium.

The Wolverines stepped up their pursuit of Underwood over the past two months with sources telling ESPN the program stepped up with a competitive NIL package. On October 30, the release of four-star quarterback commit Carter Smith (No. 155 in the ESPN 300) from the Wolverines increased the buzz around a potential flip of Underwood.

Michigan secures a potentially program-defining quarterback and one of the most significant pledges in program history less than 12 months after Moore replaced Jim Harbuagh after the Wolverines claimed the 2024 national championship.

If Underwood signs with the Wolverines on Dec. 4, he will be the first overall recruit to join Michigan since the program’s defensive tackle Rashan Gary in 2016.

Underwood would also join Gary and defensive backs Jabrill Peppers (2014 class) and Dax Hill (2019) as the only five-star prospects to land in Ann Arbor since 2006, according to the ESPN rankings.

He will mark the Wolverines’ highest-ranked quarterback pledge since Michigan landed quarterback Ryan Mallett (No. 12 overall prospect) in the 2007 class.

Regardless of whether Underwood is ready to take over as the starter in 2025, his commitment brings critical stability to the quarterback position in Ann Arbor as Moore closes out a turbulent first season.

Michigan has struggled to find a replacement for national title-winning quarterback JJ McCarthy in 2024, bouncing between Davis Warren, Alex Orji and Jack Tuttle over a 5-5 start this fall. Warren and Orji are eligible beyond this season, as is former 2024 four-star quarterback prospect Jadyn Davis.

Michigan also has a commitment from four-star quarterback Brady Hart in the 2026 cycle.

A composed passer with speed to test opposing defenses in the open field, Underwood has spent the past four years as one of the nation’s most coveted prospects, ranked ahead of top quarterbacks Lewis (USC), Tavien St. Clair (Ohio State) and Keelon Russell (Alabama) in the 2025 ESPN 300.

Underwood burst onto the national scene in 2021, throwing for 2,888 yards and 39 touchdowns in his freshman season at Belleville. He led the Tigers to back-to-back state titles in his first two seasons under center, then earned Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a junior in 2023 when he completed 64.8% of his passes for 3,329 yards and 44 touchdowns, while guiding Bellville to a third consecutive state title game.

With just one regular-season loss since September 2021, Underwood and Belleville entered the state playoffs this month as favorites to claim the program’s third state championship in four years.