Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy admits he's involved with NIL offer to Bryce Underwood

The saga around LSU Five-Star Plus+ quarterback commit Bryce Underwood and a major NIL push from Michigan continues as Signing Day looms less than three weeks away.

On Thursday, it was reported that the Wolverines are offering Underwood $10.5 million over four years to sign with them next month. Michigan has made major strides recently with its NIL operation, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. And part of that is involvement from Barstool Sports founder and Michigan fan Dave Portnoy, who pledged earlier this fall that he’d contribute $1 to $3 million annually to help Michigan secure a top-10 quarterback. 

Portnoy was asked about the massive NIL deal on the table by his co-hosts on ‘The Unnamed Show‘.

“You are involved in some fashion,” Kirk Minihane asked Portnoy. To which Portnoy responded, “Oh, yeah.”

Portnoy did not want to go into too much details on his involvement as negotiations continue.

“I don’t know how much I can say,” he said. “I don’t want to blow the deal up.”

Portnoy was then asked if he was contributing all of the money for that offer.

“$10.5 million? No,” he added. “But I may be a part of it, I don’t know. Unclear.”

When one of the other co-hosts brought up the fact that Portnoy had previously wanted to secure a quarterback by himself, with no help from other donors, he responded: “There was a material change. I don’t want to blow this thing up. I’m happy to tell you off the record. I’m not going to tell you on the record.”

Underwood shares, then deletes Instagram story about offer

Thursday night, Underwood shared a graphic from Football Forever that reads: “#1 QB likely to decline Michigan’s $10.5M NIL offer.”

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

Underwood later deleted the post.

The nation’s No. 1 overall prospect returned to Baton Rouge last weekend for his official visit to LSU. Following that visit, confidence seems to be building that Underwood will ultimately end up with the Tigers, according to On3 VP of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong.

“I think he’s going to stick in the class for LSU,” Wiltfong said Monday during the Wiltfong Whiparound. “He’s always had a lot of love for the Tigers. He loves the environment, the atmosphere around the program, the way they develop quarterbacks and certainly the stage they play on. He got a chance to get around all those commits again — like five-star Harlem Berry — be around the staff, and he brought his entire family. They love the way they’re received in Death Valley.

… Yes, there are conversations with Sherrone Moore and representatives of the Michigan football program. But it has always been an uphill battle for the Wolverines. This visit was a reminder of all the things he loves about LSU and his potential in the program. And I like him to stick with the Tigers.”