Five-star QB signee Bryce Underwood sets Heisman goal via latest IG post

Sherrone Moore and his Michigan coaching staff pulled off the biggest move in the 2025 recruiting class by flipping five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood from LSU. With Underwood's addition, Wolverines fans are hopeful for a national championship run in 2025 after a disappointing 2024 season.

Underwood is also raising expectations with an Instagram post on Friday, which featured a snapshot of former Michigan Heisman Trophy winners. The addition of a stopwatch emoji in his post may suggest a sense of urgency or motivation to achieve greatness quickly.

The post featured portraits of three Wolverines Heisman winners: Tom Harmon (1940), Desmond Howard (1991) and Charles Woodson (1997). Despite no UM player securing a Heisman in the 21st century, the arrival of Underwood, the nation's No. 1 prospect, could change that in the coming season.

As a senior in 2024, Bryce Underwood earned several accolades, including Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year, Michigan Associated Press Division 1-2 Player of the Year and Michigan High School Football Player of the Year. His impressive performances have drawn comparisons to NFL star Josh Allen, who was named MVP last week.

Michigan also added Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene, but Underwood's exceptional talent makes him a strong contender to play as a true freshman.

Bryce Underwood opens up about comparison to J.J. McCarthy

J.J. McCarthy finished his career at Michigan with a 27-1 record as a starter, leading the team to a national championship in the 2023 season. Being a Michigan native, Bryce Underwood was inspired by McCarthy and rooted for him during his freshman and sophomore years.

“Coming his junior year and seeing him start the whole way and a little bit of his sophomore year, was a good thing to see.” Underwood told Maize N Brew on Wednesday. "I get a lot of people that say my game replicates his as well. How much of a game changer and how much of a leader I am. How much of a passer I can be, how much I can do it on my feet.”

The expectations will be high for Underwood, but the relief is that he is surrounded by multiple promising players on the roster. The Wolverines secured five-star offensive tackle Ty Haywood last week while having another five-star OT in Andrew Babalola.