It has been a rough year for the defending national champions, but on Thursday, the Wolverines got some great news: The nation’s No. 1 recruit, quarterback Bryce Underwood — an athletic 6-foot-4, 205-pound 17-year-old — announced he was flipping his commitment from LSU to Michigan.

After being committed to the Tigers for nearly a year, the move sent shock waves around the college football recruiting world. Football legend and Michigan alumnus Tom Brady, however, could see it coming.

A big piece in Underwood’s pledge to the Wolverines, a program source said, was that Brady was on several Zoom meetings with Underwood and became a great resource for the young QB.

Underwood grew up a Michigan fan and is from Belleville, Mich., just 20 minutes outside Ann Arbor. Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore preaches and recruits on the basis of “the best players in Michigan, go to Michigan.”

But former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t really seem interested in pursuing Underwood the way other top programs were. Not long after Harbaugh left for the Los Angeles Chargers’ top job in January, Sean Magee returned to Ann Arbor to become Michigan’s general manager after working in the Chicago Bears front office.

And Magee and Moore made Underwood a huge priority.

Yes sir! The Best Players in Michigan, Go to Michigan!! #ProcessOverPrize25 #GoBlue🔵

— Sherrone Moore (@Coach_SMoore) November 20, 2024

The two worked for months to repair the relationship with the star QB. Things kicked into high gear this week when Underwood spent two days around Michigan and felt very comfortable with the direction things are now heading with the program.

The Wolverines, less than a year removed from a national championship, are currently 5-5 and out of playoff contention.

“Everyone assumes we’re just handing this kid over eight figures, but that’s not true,” the source said.

pic.twitter.com/owaL5uEIfP

— Bryce Jay Underwood (@BryceUnderwoo16) November 22, 2024

Now that the Wolverines have their QB of the future in place, expect them to make a lot more noise on the recruiting front with the early signing period less than two weeks away.

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(Photo: Nic Antaya / UFL / Getty Images)