Michigan Football: 'They are not going to lose on the NIL front anymore'

Since the advent of the NIL era a few years ago, Michigan‘s football program had taken a much more conservative approaching to paying players than a lot of its counterparts at the heights of college football.

The phrase used over and over by Jim Harbaugh‘s staff was “transformational, not transactional,” i.e. they were going to sell Michigan’s development and education over the opportunity to make the most money. And it worked under Harbaugh, with the team taking home a CFP national title and undefeated season in 2023.

But his departure led to changes — and early-season struggles — in Sherrone Moore’s first year at the helm. The Wolverines limped to a 4-3 start that included back-to-back losses to Washington and Illinois, hardly thought to be the class of the Big Ten. Those defeats changed the trajectory of not only U-M’s season but its future.

And the biggest part of that shift was the recruitment of No. 1 quarterback recruit Bryce Underwood, who had been committed to LSU for nearly a year. Seeing the team’s struggles under poor quarterback play during the season united Moore, his staff and a number of wealthy Michigan donors to change the course of the program’s trajectory, according to On3’s Steve Wiltfong.

“The rumors started in the fall,” Wiltfong said Wednesday of the program’s pursuit and increased NIL offering to Underwood. “And it really started picking up for Michigan after another poor showing against Illinois, a tough loss. Sherrone Moore hired Sean Magee to come in and be his general manager. And the Wolverines, as the season continued, really started to change the way they were going to recruit and attack NIL to be a major player. Obviously, there were also some people outside of the program that greatly impacted Bryce Underwood and his decision to flip.

… Whether that was local trainer where he worked out keeping Michigan warm throughout the season. And then some heavy hitters, some billionaires coming in, and show Bryce Underwood the type of earnings he could have if he stayed home and played quarterback at the University of Michigan.”

Wolverines are going to be extremely competitive with NIL

The increased financial package, reported by On3’s Pete Nakos to be north of $10 million over four years, played a massive factor. Underwood, who lives in nearby Belleville, made four visits to campus in the fall and ultimately flipped his pledge on November 21.

He was immediately showered with opportunities from the likes of Barstool Sports — whose founder Dave Portnoy is a major Michigan donor — as well as from the Wolverines’ NIL collective. But they had other targets in mind as well.

Four-star defensive lineman Nate Marshall flipped from Auburn ahead of signing day, and high four-star offensive Ty Haywood chose not to sign with Alabama after picking up an offer from the Wolverines. He decommitted in January and announced on Wednesday morning he was signed with U-M. He took one visit to Ann Arbor, but that combined with the money Michigan was offering compared to the Crimson Tide, was simply too good to pass up.

And that may be the case for a lot of recruits in the future, as the program looks primed to be as competitive as any when it comes to spending money.

“I think the root of is, they are not going to lose on the NIL front anymore,” Wiltfong added. “They are going to have a loaded gun when they go into these blue-chip battles. Now Bryce Underwood almost doesn’t count — that was a another level of recruitment there. But a Nate Marshall, flipping him from Auburn down the stretch, getting Ty Haywood in the fold at the end of the cycle. And then when you flip Shamari Earls and Jordan Young. These are the type of recruitments that we haven’t seen Michigan win.”