By james art Five-star Belleville (Mich.) quarterback Bryce Underwood sent shockwaves through the college football recruiting scene after revealing a commitment to the LSU Tigers in January.
Now, nearly 10 months after verbally committing to Brian Kelly’s program, Underwood remains recruited with the Bayou Bengals.
After committing to LSU, Underwood ended his recruitment. He did not attend any other programs, whether official or unofficial, while only traveling to Baton Rouge.
The No. 1 player in America is a program-changing prospect with evaluators oozing with the potential he has at the next level and beyond.
A look at what 247Sports Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Irvins had to say about Underwood:
247Sports’ Rating: “Potential franchise signal-caller with the ideal combination of size, arm talent and athleticism. There’s no shortage of field commands midway through his senior season, which makes sense given the resume: 48-plus career starts and more than 165 rushing touchdowns. Those numbers are further boosted by the fact that he is extremely young for the class and won’t turn 20 until his third year in college.
“Projects as a perennial impact player for a College Football Playoff contender who has a chance to eventually go as a first rounder in the NFL draft with his tools. He may need a semester or two to find his footing, but the ability to hunt down big plays and distribute on the move could be tough to keep off the field, even if he’s still learning how to analyze complex defenses.”
Now that we’re approaching the crunch time until prospects can enroll during the early signing period in December, the Michigan Wolverines buzz has become a hot topic.
Underwood, a Michigan native, has been heavily recruited by the Wolverines throughout the recruiting process over the past three-plus years.
Underwood’s actions made it clear the five-star signal-caller was committed to the Tigers, but that didn’t stop Michigan head coach Sharon Moore from reaching out to the quarterback to keep the line open.
On3 Sports Recruiting Expert Steve Wiltfong chimes in:
“As head coach Sharon Moore and Michigan make their big push into the early signing period, they currently sit in On3’s No. 12 recruiting class. One prospect they continue to have dialogue with is On3’s No. 1 prospect in of Bryce Underwood. Committed to LSU, this is a recruit to watch progressing. I believe the dialogue with the Wolverines is real. We’ll see how things go there, I think it’ll open the eyes of a few others before pen hits paper.”
Underwood has been labeled a “program-changing” prospect, with the LSU Tigers keeping their foot on the gas for his services.
LSU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan embraced that recruiting and worked with him over the past year.
A player coach, Sloan has become a critical part of Baton Rouge’s recruiting success, and Underwood is another product of that.
Now that the clock is ticking down to the Early Signing Period, all signs point to Underwood putting pen to paper with the Tigers.
Underwood’s camp and LSU have had no hesitation in communication. He kept in constant contact with the Bayou Bengals throughout the process as he began lining up an official visit.
The No. 1 quarterback has visited Baton Rouge a few times unofficially, but with an official visit pending, Underwood will return to the Bayou State one more time before December as they line up an official.
No. 16 LSU will face the Alabama Crimson Tide on Nov. 9 in a key SEC matchup between two programs looking to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
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