"This kid only cares about $$$, football is secondary": Fans react to Michigan commit Bryce Underwood's Thanksgiving Day collab with Barstool Sports 

After losing JJ McCarthy to the NFL, Michigan needed someone like five-star quarterback and former LSU commit Bryce Underwood to ensure another championship season. Sherrone Moore's Wolverines made the nearly impossible move happen by flipping him from the Tigers.

Underwood's flip turned out to be successful due to some behind-the-door activities of Michigan fans and alumni, including a partnership with Barstool Sports. The company released a "QB1" T-shirt featuring Underwood’s name and number on Friday.

Underwood's flip has been one of the most controversial moves in college football. He frequently reaffirmed his commitment to the Tigers on social media and also made game-day visits to the school. Even a day before his flip, no one saw it coming.

However, in the era of NIL deals, commitment is becoming more fragile, and Underwood's flip proved the notion once again. Several outlets reported his NIL deal with Michigan to be ranging from $10-$13 million. After his tee release, critics slammed him in the comments section.

"lol this kid only cares about $$$, football is secondary," a fan wrote.

"Enjoy the unlimited money bro. Hope it gets u to the league," one wrote.

However, Michigan supporters rallied behind Underwood by celebrating his decision to stay close to home. Raised in Belleville, just 30 minutes from Ann Arbor, Bryce Underwood’s commitment is a point of pride for local fans. Many rushed to purchase the Barstool T-shirt and shared screenshots of their orders online.

"Already got it on the way," one wrote.

"Got 〽️ine," another wrote with the screenshot of his purchase.

Barstool CEO Dave Portnoy also stoked excitement with a video post on X:

"Okay this is for Wolverines fans, eyes only," Portnoy said. "Five-star QB1, Underwood #19, the second we flipped his a*s, I got on the horn, let's do a collab. All the money going to Bryce Underwood. I know he's got this huge contract, we're setting the tone, we're setting the tone."

Billionaire Larry Ellison was among the donors in Underwood's NIL deal, and NFL GOAT Tom Brady also pursued him. Now, Underwood must prove that Michigan’s investment was worth it by delivering where Davis Warren, Jack Tuttle and Alex Orji fell short.

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Michigan loses commitment of Brady Hart following Bryce Underwood's pledge

Bryce Underwood is the highest-rated prospect in Michigan's 2025 class and will likely be the Wolverines undisputed starting quarterback next season. The school also had four-star quarterback Brady Hart committed to its 2026 class, who was rumored to reclassify.

Hart had initially said that he had no problem competing with Underwood in the quarterback room, but he had a change of heart on Friday by reclassifying to the 2025 cycle and decommitting Michigan to flip to Texas A&M.

"I've had a fair share of schools ask me to reclass these past couple of months," Smith said (via The-Express). "I felt like I'm mentally ready to go to school and start the next step of all this. I just felt A&M was just the perfect place."

Michigan didn’t lose anything, though, as it already had Bryce Underwood locked in. However, Hart's commitment is a big win for Texas A&M, as it lost the pledge of five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet, who flipped to USC following the decommitment of Julian Lewis.