Bryce Underwood ditched LSU for Michigan. And a big part of the reason is NIL money. That much is obvious. No. 1 overall player in the nation. Belleville phenom. Generational talent. And the Wolverines? They desperately needed a program quarterback. But how did HC Sherrone Moore and OC Chip Lindsey pull off this heist when he’s been committed to Brian Kelly‘s team for over 300 days? 

Barstool Sports founder and Michigan alum Dave Portnoy didn’t hide his involvement in this major flip storyline. “I’m getting tons of credit online for flipping Bryce,” he said last November. “While I love credit, reality is I played a tiny (role).” At that time, he also added that there are “Michigan Men + Women out there making things happen behind the scenes.” But now he’s making things more clear for fans to follow. 

In a new episode of Club Shay Shay on May 17, Dave Portnoy joined Shannon Sharpe and casually dropped a bombshell. “I said in a podcast, I was so mad after Michigan lost,” he admitted. “I’m like this ‘I will buy us a quarterback. I’ll do $3 million. I’ll find us a quarterback. We’re never gonna have no quarterback again.’” Classic Portnoy rant right? Except someone—a very rich someone—was listening. 

After that episode, Dave Portnoy found himself on a call with Jolin Zhu, who introduced herself as a Michigan alum and the wife of billionaire Oracle founder Larry Ellison. And Portnoy’s rant? “That provoked Jolin, and she’s like, someone else cares about Michigan as much as I do. That’s how the conversation started. They’re like we’re recruiting this kid Bryce Underwood,” he recounted. “Two days later, we’re on a phone call with Larry Ellison, myself, Michigan, and the Underwoods. It’s like out of a movie, and we’re pitching this kid.” And he also made one thing clear—he only stirred the pot. 

“I didn’t kick in anything,” Dave Portnoy added. “I’m getting credit for it. Larry Ellison, they bought the quarterback.” The number, as we already know, is $12 million in NIL money. Let’s be real, LSU, no matter how much they tried, just couldn’t compete with that kind of starpower backing. Also, add in the fact that Ann Arbor is just 30 minutes from Bryce Underwood’s hometown of Belleville, and it all started to make sense. But is he a locked-in Wolverine?

Bryce Underwood clears the air on decommitment rumors

At 6’4, 215-pound, Bryce Underwood is worth every dollar that Michigan paid to get him—two State titles, a 50-4 record, and a high endorsement from On3’s Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power, who labeled him a “franchise quarterback prospect out of high school.” But social media has a way of stirring the rumor mill.

Earlier this week, word began to spread that Bryce Underwood might be having second thoughts on Michigan. But he shut down the rumors with a straightforward post—“lol, yall say anything on social media.” Case closed. 

In an interview with Kickin It With Dee, Bryce Underwood doubled down on his decision to join Sherrone Moore’s team. “Knowing who I am as a person, education is a big thing for me,” he said. “Michigan probably has one of the best educations in college period outside of Ivy League schools. That’s one of the things that stood out.”

He also made it clear that he has nothing against LSU and that “it was mainly my family and the best situation for me.” He also added the home proximity as an added factor. 

So yeah, Michigan finally landed the face of their program with the top player in 2025. Thanks in part to a billionaire, a fed-up Portnoy, and a program that finally got serious about the NIL race.