Five-Star Plus+ QB, 2025 No. 1 prospect Bryce Underwood visiting Michigan

There will be a surplus of recruiting hotbeds around the country this weekend as rivalry week commences. Perhaps none will be bigger than the gantry in Ann Arbor, however.

The Game between undefeated Ohio State and undefeated Michigan is set to kick off what’s sure to be a wild Saturday. While the stakes are as high as ever on the field, the Wolverines also have the opportunity to make a serious impression with the boat load of recruits that are set to be in attendance.

At the top of that visit list is Belleville (Mich.) Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 cycle — according to the On3 Industry Ranking. The elite in-state QB has made several trips to campus, but none have been this big or important.

Im at U of M.

— Bryce Jay Underwood (@BryceUnderwoo16) November 25, 2023

Underwood is still expected to announce his college decision on Jan. 6. On Nov. 6, he announced his top seven schools: Alabama, Colorado, LSU, Michigan, Penn State, Oregon and Florida State.

In reality, all signs have pointed towards two teams: LSU and the Wolverines. Jim Harbaugh and Co. have made good use of their proximity to Underwood, while Tigers QB coach Joe Sloan has led the charge for the powerhouse SEC program.

Wolverines in Tier One for Underwood

Things could be trending in favor of LSU, however. Multiple recruiting insiders have logged On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) picks for Underwood to land in Baton Rouge, giving the Tigers a 91.9% chance to land his pledge. The ball will be in Michigan’s court to make an impression this weekend.

“Tier one has to be LSU and Michigan,” On3’s Chad Simmons said earlier this month. “I think people that follow recruiting, like recruiting, read about recruiting, listen to guys like yourself know that LSU and Michigan are battling at the top. There is no doubt about that.”

“He’s evaluating each school from top to bottom, inside and out. He knows coaches make moves, coaches stay and some go. Coordinators come and go. I think it starts, with Michigan, with Kirk Campbell. They have a great relationship, he loves his quarterback coaching style. He loves what he sees in J.J. McCarthy,” Simmons added.

Underwood has an On3 NIL Valuation of $456K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.