Paul Finebaum: Bryce Underwood highlighted a terrible week for Brian Kelly
LSU‘s 24-17 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday flew under the radar after No. 1 2025 prospect Bryce Underwood flipped his commitment from the Tigers to Michigan earlier this week. On Sunday, Paul Finebaum addressed how Underwood’s decision impacts head coach Brian Kelly and LSU.
“It was a terrible week for Brian Kelly,” Finebaum said. “The biggest loss was Underwood, even more so than the Florida game because that’s what the fans, I should say, we’re building the hope for next year. Again, the Vanderbilt game was so deep under the radar screen last night.
“I was watching the Alabama game and watching the Auburn game, and I had to remember at about midnight what happened at LSU. I assumed that LSU won because otherwise, I would have had 15 texts about Brian Kelly. But it was hard. The good news is, he won the game. The bad news is, I don’t know, how much interest there was as long as he won. That was all that mattered.”
Underwood’s decision came in the ensuing week after LSU’s upset loss against Florida. It was the Tigers’ third-straight loss, effectively knocking them out of College Football Playoff contention.
While it’s unclear whether LSU’s losing streak had any effect on Underwood’s decision, the shocking flip hurt the Tigers all the same. Underwood had been committed to LSU since Jan. 6. However, Michigan continued to contact Underwood even after his commitment.
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After all, Underwood’s high school is only a 30-minute drive from Michigan Stadium. Of course, Proximity wasn’t the only persuading factor in Underwood’s change of heart. Michigan reportedly offered Underwood an NIL deal north $10.5 million, according to On3’s The Wolverine.
With a lackluster 2024 campaign coming to a close, Brian Kelly and LSU could’ve really used the excitement of Bryce Underwood’s presence to propel them into the offseason. Now, the Tigers will have to finish out their season without any extra fuel.
“Now, he plays Oklahoma,” Finebaum said of Kelly. “I’m not trying to sound like I’m a shill for Brian Kelly, but he wins that game. He hopefully gets to a decent ball game, and wins, and it’s all about next year. But next year is very big.”