Bryce Underwood's Insane NIL Valuation

By Jace Hinton November 13, 2024 10:25

Photo by David Rodriguez Munoz / USA TODAY NETWORK

Belleville, MI—Most 17-year-olds are trying to decide what school they are going to or who they will take to prom and homecoming, and if they have a job, they are primarily working minimum wage and do not have schools offering NIL deals to secure a commitment. Bryce Underwood is that exception. The LSU Quarterback commit and current number one player in the nation in the class of 2025, according to 24/7 Sports, has the home state Michigan Wolverines offering him the magic number that gives us his NIL value.

Standing at six foot three inches tall and weighing in at 205 pounds, Underwood has many similarities in his game to Texas legend Vince Young. He can certainly make plays with his arm talent but also run through defenders and move the chains with his legs. He also is fearless in taking hits, similar to Cam Newton in his Auburn Superman days. Underwood is currently committed to the Bayou Bengals down in Baton Rouge and is set to become an LSU Tiger, but that has not stopped the home state Michigan Wolverines from sending offers his way.

In high school, he had 5,203 passing yards and 68 passing touchdowns in just two years as the full-time starter. He is only nine games into his senior season, and he has 1,798 passing yards and 26 touchdowns thus far.

It is no secret why Shemar Moore and the Wolverines want to keep the Michigan native Underwood in the state. The Wolverine's quarterback position is an uncertain spot for them as of right now. Michigan could benefit from the big, versatile quarterback from Belleville. Underwood would also likely be an immediate starter in Ann Arbor, while down in Baton Rouge, Garrett Nussmeier is still questioned about whether he will stay or go forward into the NFL draft. It could be longer for Underwood to start at LSU sooner.

Underwood has had multiple offers from almost every school in the nation you could think of, and NIL, I am sure, has been part of the offer packages from some schools. However, they have yet to be larger and give us the number of his NIL valuation that Michigan offered Underwood. Five million dollars was the reported offer that Michigan offered Underwood to secure his commitment to Ann Arbor. With no current NIL deals, Underwoods is only valued at $1.9 million by On3, which means that the offer from Michigan in NIL deals is more than double his current NIL valuation. That is almost the same amount an NFL draft pick late second-round and early third-round pick would make on his rookie contract.

Underwood, if he has done his NIL homework, he would know that LSU was the leader that jumped out on the NIL world when it was introduced to college sports, and not far behind them was Michigan's rival Ohio State. “The Money Game,” a documentary series created by Amazon Prime that follows LSU athletes and their NIL journeys, clearly showed that LSU was the leader in the NIL world.

Underwood'scruitment still seems open with Michigan's offer even if he is committed to LSU. However, I would still sit and watch as this story continues to develop and watch his name as he could be the next big name in not only college football on the field but also in the NIL world that still remains as a way of free agency in college football.