Even Michigan’s QB1 can’t forget who really runs the show. Perhaps Bryce Underwood is currently one of the most talked about recruits in college football. And for good reason, because he’s not just the No. 1 overall player in the 2025 class. He’s also got that $12 million tag on him as the guy bought to bring the school back to what it was in 2023. Yeah, the expectation is the national championship. And that too with a 5-star 17-year-old. But this month’s about the ones who brought him this far.

On June 16, Michigan’s golden boy set the headlines aside and went full son mode. Just hours after paying tribute to his dad with a heartfelt “HAPPY FATHER’S DAY💙” shoutout on Instagram, alongside a photo of Jaquan Underwood and his two younger siblings, Bryce Underwood went back to his roots. First, he reposted Michigan’s #1 Dad graphic. Then came the main event, which is a big birthday salute to the woman who raised him. 

Posting from the Belleville High School football field, he struck a humble pose next to his mother, Beverly Underwood, in his IG story on June 16. In all caps, he urged his 231K IG followers and 33.9K X followers to “GO WISH MY MAMA A HAPPY BIRTHDAY.” And in his caption, he wrote, “Love you ma, Happy Birthday!! 💙💙” Just a son acknowledging his mother for everything that he has become. Just wholesome! 

The message was loud, clear, and refreshingly real. Because for all the stars, stats, and scouting grades, Bryce Underwood hasn’t lost touch with the people who raised him. On Mother’s Day, he dropped a simple “happy mother’s day 🧡” tribute where he posted a thoughtful shot in his high school football uniform along with his teammates with their mothers. And why shouldn’t Beverly be a proud mother?

On May 30, Beverly put that pride on full display. She posted a collage of a young Bryce Underwood slowly living out his teenage years, becoming a high school grad, and awaiting his collegiate career. “Bryce Underwood, you already know I’m a mess,” she wrote in her caption. Her son reposted the tribute on her Instagram story. And for anyone wondering whether Bryce is just another NIL-fed superstar with dollar signs in his eyes, this isn’t that story. This is a story about loyalty. About love. About remembering where it all started. And this kid knows best.

Bryce Underwood secures NIL perks for his parents

Speaking of remembering your roots, Bryce Underwood didn’t just share the spotlight with his parents emotionally. He made sure they got a slice of the NIL pie too. In January, Feldman Chevrolet of Highland handed the $12M Michigan QB the keys to a shiny new 2025 Tahoe RST, worth around $70,000. But that wasn’t all. In a now-viral video, Feldman revealed that both his parents got new rides of their own. 

Jaquan slid into a brand-new Silverado High Country. Beverly got hers too, but she didn’t reveal the exact model. But it’s unmistakable that this was a huge family win. It’s a new era, and Bryce Underwood is emblematic of what NIL should look like. Where the perks go beyond just the player and extend to the people who’ve been grinding behind the scenes for years. And this is about Michigan adapting. This is Sherrone Moore planting his flag and showing that the Wolverines can hang in the big-money era.

Bryce Underwood hasn’t played a snap for Michigan, and yet, expectations are sky high. But with moves like this, he’s already showing championship DNA on and off the field.