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Michigan QB Bryce Underwood discusses 'great experience' of connecting with Tom Brady

clayton-sayfieby:Clayton Sayfie•about 9 hours•

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Bryce Underwood Tom Brady
Michigan Wolverines football quarterback Bryce Underwood and U-M and NFL legend Tom Brady. (Photos by USA TODAY Sports Images)

Michigan Wolverines football freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood is enrolled and on campus at U-M, with the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect being the headliner of a recruiting class that ranks No. 6 in the nation.

Underwood was committed to LSU for nearly 11 months before flipping to Michigan in late-November, shocking the college football world.

“The legacy that comes with it, and also the resources and great education that I will have,” Underwood said of why he chose U-M in an interview with Big Ten Network. “That’s one of the big factors that came with this decision that I made.”

The Wolverines went all in on his recruitment, with the recruit even having conversations with Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion and Michigan legend.

“I talked to Tom Brady before, so that’s one of the biggest and the main one that I’ve talked to,” Underwood said. “Just a great experience.”

Brady complimented Underwood’s game during those talks. The five-star+ prospect threw for 2,321 yards and 30 touchdowns with a 71.8 completion percentage as a senior at Belleville (Mich.) High, earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors in the state.

“Honestly, how much of a great player that I am and how much potential he sees in me, how much better I can be,” Underwood said of Brady’s message.

While Underwood kept his composure while on the phone with the NFL legend, he let some emotions out after hanging up.

“It was unexpected, honestly,” Underwood said of the call. “I tried to keep my cool a little bit, but it kinda came out when we got off the phone.”

When asked if the two have texted since, Underwood replied, “Here and there, of course. Don’t want to bother the busy man too much.”

Underwood has also connected with former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft to the Minnesota Vikings. McCarthy went 27-1 as a starter in Ann Arbor and led the Wolverines to the 2023 national championship with a 15-0 season.

“Definitely was rooting for him to be in the game as a freshman and a sophomore, so coming in his junior year, seeing him start the whole way and a little bit of his sophomore year was a great thing to see,” Underwood stated.

“I get a lot of people that say my game replicates his — how much of a game-changer, how much of a leader I am, how much of a passer I can be, how much I can do it on my feet, as well.”

Underwood has developed a strong relationship with Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore, who’s entering his second season at the helm.

“He has a lot of grit, honestly,” Underwood said when asked to describe Moore, a 39-year-old. “He’s willing to push to the end, be the best that he can possibly be, at no cost.”

Underwood will be in contention to start behind center for Michigan during his freshman season, with graduate Mikey Keene, a Fresno State transfer, expected to be his top competitor. He was asked what his goals are for the offseason, before taking the field Aug. 30 against New Mexico.

“Just be the best me I can possibly be and make the guys around me even better than they already are,” Underwood said.

Here are some more highlights from the Michigan signal-caller’s conversation with Big Ten Network:




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