Moments after five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan on Thursday, four-star tight end commit Eli Owens sent a two-word message on social media.
“We’re back,” Owens said.
After winning a national championship last season, Michigan was not back this season. The offense was more like backside.
A 5-5 season has followed almost exclusively because of offensive ineptitude as the Wolverines average just over 20 points per game and they’ve thrown just 10 touchdowns in 10 games.
Davis Warren has more interceptions than touchdowns. Alex Orji is completing just over half his passes. Jack Tuttle retired midseason. Four-star freshman Jadyn Davis never burned his redshirt.
You don’t need to be Jim Harbaugh to realize Michigan’s offense was miserable – and not sustainable to one of the proudest fan bases in all of college football.
So the program, the collective, Dave Portnoy, went hunting for a quarterback and the Wolverines landed one of the biggest fish available in Underwood, a five-star who is second in the 2025 class rankings behind only Ohio State commit Tavien St. Clair, which opens up so many future storylines as well.
It was a long courtship as Michigan – from coach Sherrone Moore, to a battery of assistants to many others – worked on the Belleville, Mich., standout who showed marginal interest in the Wolverines throughout his recruitment.
He committed to LSU in January. But over the last couple months – especially as Michigan’s quarterback situation was untenable – the coaching staff got more and more involved with Underwood.
They brought out the big guns. And the big checkbook. And got it done Thursday with one of the more monumental flips in Rivals history dating back to 2002.
“He was the missing piece of the puzzle,” four-star running back commit Jasper Parker said.
“I believe in coach Moore and the rest of the staff. I knew they’d make it happen.”
Four-star WR commit Jacob Washington said: “This is a huge win for us. I am excited and can’t wait to catch touchdowns from Bryce in The Big House. It’s going to be scary.”
What would have been scarier – at least for Michigan fans – was if Moore and his staff couldn’t pull off the big flip.
Four-star quarterback commit Carter Smith backed off his pledge (Wisconsin is his new leader) when the Underwood talk picked up in earnest.
The transfer portal is always available and many programs changed quickly with transfer QBs including many in the College Football Playoff talk this year but there’s no guarantee there.
Underwood was the key to all this coming together. And with less than two weeks until signing day, Michigan pulled it off.
“I’m so happy,” four-star OL commit Kaden Strayhorn said. “mMe and him have talked about playing together in college since middle school. To be his center is going to be something great.
“I had a good feeling about it for sure.”
