Belleville High School’s Bryce Underwood, Nation’s Top Football Recruit, Officially Signs with Michigan

Jeremy Allen, Executive Editor

4 months ago

It’s official. The nation’s top high school football prospect has signed on to play college football at the University of Michigan starting in 2025.

Bryce Underwood, the once-in-a-generation student-athlete from Belleville, Michigan, will stay close to home and suit up as the University of Michigan’s highest-ever quarterback recruit and, hopefully for Michigan faithful, fill a role that was left vacant for the team following a 2024 National Championship win.

“I’m ready to bring my talents, my athleticism, and everything I’m capable of bringing to the next level,” Underwood said during his Dec. 4 signing day. He said signing with the Wolverines was a dream come true, but having the National Player of the Year bring his talents to Ann Arbor is equally a dream come true for the team’s fanbase, too.

It’s been a roller coaster ride for fans, though, as Underwood has a previous commitment to LSU in what had been one of the most closely watched stories of the 2025 recruiting cycle, and it seemed like a done deal for the No. 1 high school player in the country. But U-M Head Coach Sherrone Moore and Michigan’s recruiting staff – along with the help of a wealthy alumni base – worked relentlessly behind the scenes to sway Underwood. It wasn’t just about football; it was about culture, leadership, and the future of the program. Underwood saw in Moore a coach who not only had Michigan’s football team on the verge of greatness, but a coach who could develop him into the next great quarterback in college football. Coach Moore was able to offer Underwood an NIL deal that will likely net the new recruit about $10-$12 million over his Michigan career, blowing LSU’s $1.5 million NIL agreement out of the water.

The decision to flip Underwood was seismic, sending shockwaves through the recruiting world. It also represented a new era for Michigan football—one in which Moore had proven that he could not only lead the team on the field, but also attract and develop the best talent in the country. Underwood’s commitment made Michigan an even more formidable force in college football, positioning the Wolverines for sustained success in the years to come.

“I think for him, it’s about the work,” Moore said of Underwood. “The process of how you got to where you got to — you worked to get there. It didn’t just happen. He’s going to have to put the work in, day in, day out. I think his mentality, I think his family, how he’s been brought up, I think that’s going to play a huge role into it. There’s not going to be a humbling session because he’s the kid is very humble. The kid wants to be good, and the kid knows it takes work to be good. It’s not just going to happen. So, he wants to be pushed, and he will be.”

It’s evident that Underwood, the diamond of a stacked 2025 recruiting class, will send ripple effects through college football, and if he takes the field as Michigan’s next starting quarterback, it could mark a truly iconic turn for Michigan’s first Black head coach and the U-M program.

Photos from Bryce Underwood’s Signing Day

Belleville High School Senior Football Players Elijah Dotson (L) and Bryce Underwood (who is the nation’s No. 1 ranked recruit) are seen posing with their mothers after signing their letters of intent to play college football at the University of Michigan next year. (Photo by: Aaron J. Thornton)

Belleville High School Senior Football Players Elijah Dotson (sitting 2nd-L) and Bryce Underwood (sitting 3rd-L, who is the nation’s No. 1 ranked recruit) are seen with fellow teammates after signing their letters of intent to play college football at the University of Michigan next year. (Photo by: Aaron J. Thornton)

Belleville High School Senior Football Players Elijah Dotson (L) and Bryce Underwood (who is the nation’s No. 1 ranked recruit) sign their letters of intent to play college football at the University of Michigan next year. (Photo by: Aaron J. Thornton)

Belleville High School Senior Football Players Elijah Dotson (L) and Bryce Underwood (who is the nation’s No. 1 ranked recruit) are seen before signing their letters of intent to play college football at the University of Michigan next year. (Photo by: Aaron J. Thornton)

Belleville High School Senior Football Player Bryce Underwood (who is the nation’s No. 1 ranked recruit) smiles after signing his letter of intent to play college football at the University of Michigan next year. (Photo by: Aaron J. Thornton)