Report: Tom Brady played role in Michigan flipping Bryce Underwood commitment

The biggest news of Michigan’s 2024 season happened off the field this week, as the Wolverines landed a commitment from the No. 1 overall player in the 2025 signing class, Belleville (Mich.) quarterback Bryce Underwood.

And it was all the culmination of a months-long push by the Wolverines to flip the local five-star from LSU, where he’d been committed since January. And on top of a lucrative reported NIL package — north of $10 million — the Wolverines leaned on a favored son, Tom Brady, to seal the deal, according to a report from CBS Sports.

Brady and Underwood first spoke over FaceTime weeks ago and a relationship blossomed from there, with Brady offering to be an ongoing resource for the young quarterback.

Brady played at Michigan in the late 1990s and famously climbed up the depth chart to become the starter and led the Wolverines to an Orange Bowl victory to cap the 1999 season. He’d go on to win seven Super Bowls during his NFL career.

Underwood’s commitment to Michigan also came as a surprise to many, as he was seemingly leaning toward sticking with LSU. He even posted on social media a week prior to flipping his commitment that he was likely to turn down the hefty NIL offer from the Wolverines.

Five-Star Plus+ LSU QB commit Bryce Underwood just shared this to his Instagram story:

“#1 QB Likely to Decline Michigan’s $10.5M Offer.”https://t.co/grnjBpYorg pic.twitter.com/eQoNOMedJ2

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) November 15, 2024

But a week later, that had all changed.

And evidently, while it was likely not the sole deciding factor, having Brady play his part in recruiting the five-star quarterback from the Wolverines’ backyard helped make the biggest recruiting win for Michigan in modern history possible.

Bryce Underwood Scouting Summary

On3 writes this of Underwood as a prospect:

“Premier arm talent who is one of the more gifted high school quarterback prospects in recent years. Combination of arm strength, pocket feel and processing ability makes him the top quarterback in the 2025 cycle. Owns a wide-shouldered frame, measuring in at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds with 10-inch hands at the On3 Elite Series prior to his senior season. Touts a big-time arm with the ability to drive the ball with velocity to all levels of the field. Has the ability to touch every area of the field with ease. Throws a very tight spiral that amplifies the velocity on the tail of his passes. Has shown advanced skill as a passer. Comfortable delivering over the middle of the field from within the pocket. Consistently sticks the ball on receivers against tight coverage.

…Shows the ability to layer passes with touch and high-level location, especially downfield. Demonstrates the best pocket presence in the cycle entering the senior season. A vertical mover in the pocket who navigates pressure at a level well beyond his years. Has rhythmic feet when operating within structure. Doubles as a run threat with the ability to make defenders miss in space.”