Amid the chaos of the transfer portal, revenue sharing, and other major changes in college football, athletes are now earning more money than ever before. Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class, is showing just how big those opportunities have become.
As he prepares to start his freshman season with the Michigan Wolverines, Underwood is reportedly set to earn eight figures over his next four years in Ann Arbor.
How Much Bryce Underwood Is Projected to Earn?
Underwood initially committed to the LSU Tigers but flipped his commitment to the Wolverines just before national signing day. At the time, reports indicated he earned a significant amount for his decision, and it now appears those reports were accurate.
Bryce Underwood, ESPN’s No. 1 recruit in 2025 class, has FLIPPED his commitment from LSU to Michigan, per @adamschefter 🤯
Michigan offered Underwood a 4-year, $10.5M NIL deal in an attempt to flip his LSU commitment, per @On3NIL
More here: https://t.co/3yLi7yWFB6
(📸:… pic.twitter.com/LvUprESPWG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 21, 2024
On3’s Pete Nakos spent the weekend at the annual Personnel and Recruiting Symposium in Nashville, Tennessee, where he gathered insights on some of the biggest NIL deals in college sports from personnel and recruiting staffers.
According to Nakos, Underwood will be the Wolverines’ highest-paid player over the next four seasons, or until he declares for the NFL Draft.
“On3 received some further confirmation this week that Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood will make $10 to $12 million over four years,” Nakos wrote. “He will be the highest-paid player on this year’s roster and continues to trend as the starter for the Wolverines.”
It’s an incredible amount of money for a player who hasn’t yet taken a snap in college football, but it shows how far programs are willing to go to secure the top recruits.
However, Underwood had stated that the flip was not all about money. “Honestly, school,” Underwood had said, explaining his move. “School is a big thing with me — like my education is everything. And also me being pushing my hometown state, my hometown big college to the next level, win a couple national championships.”
Underwood has not officially been named Michigan’s starter for the 2025 season yet, but he will likely be by the end of fall camp, especially given the significant investment the program has made in him.
What Hurdles Can Underwood Face on His Way to Winning the Starting Job?
As CBS Sports insider Chris Hummer pointed out, “The Wolverines have far too much invested from an NIL standpoint for him to sit. The early returns on Underwood have been immensely positive, and CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz pegged him as the ‘clear favorite’ to be QB1 for the Wolverines in their opener.”
There’s no doubt Underwood is talented. As the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, he stands 6’4” and weighs 228 pounds, boasts a powerful arm, and is a highly skilled athlete. Despite his high school success, Michigan will need Underwood to develop into one of the nation’s best players to justify its eight-figure investment.
However, Hummer believes that Underwood still has to earn his job as a starter and he has some hurdles to overcome. “The biggest potential hurdle to his starting path is likely Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene, who missed most of the spring with an upper body injury,” the insider added.
Here, Keene has an edge over Underwood. He is familiar with the Wolverines’ offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, thanks to their time at UCF in 2022. All that being said, Hummer thinks that Underwood can pull it off.
“Underwood will need to beat out Keene and continue to show the necessary maturity and comfort in the offense to be a Week 1 starter for the Wolverines. I’d bet on that happening,” he added.
The money flowing into college football continues to rise each year, and Underwood’s deal is a clear example of that trend.
