The timing couldn’t be more fitting for LSU. Just as senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier’s eligibility expires following the 2025 season, Michigan’s dramatic implosion has potentially freed up the very quarterback LSU thought they had secured years ago. Bryce Underwood, who broke Tiger hearts by flipping to Michigan, might finally be available again. And LSU legend Tyrann Mathieu isn’t letting the  opportunity of making another recruitment pitch pass. 

“I just feel like he was always supposed to be a LSU Tiger,” the former All-American safety explained in the December 16 episode of his show
In the Bayou With Tyrann Mathieu. “It’s hard for a kid to turn down 20 million, and I felt so bad when they paid him that money. I kind of knew it wasn’t going to work out because you don’t get rewarded for doing that. He used to always come out and took like 10 trips to LSU, and then they came with just money.  Would you rather take the 20 million and underperform and go somewhere where you’re not, or would you rather take 5 million and be on a track to win the Heisman Trophy? I’d rather take the five and be on a track to win the Heisman Trophy.”

He continued later, “I don’t know who our quarterback is next year. I know we got Lane coming in, and he’s going to hit the transfer portal. Then we got the kid Van Buren. I don’t know how they feel about him, but it’s all good. We’ll take Bryce if he’s not doing nothing.​” 

Underwood was once the consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class and originally committed to LSU before signing with Michigan in December 2024, a decision widely believed to have been influenced by a significant NIL offer from the Wolverines.

The young QB did not necessarily struggle at Michigan. But he couldn’t command the eyeballs that a recruit of his stature should have. In his freshman season with the Wolverines, Underwood completed just 179 of 293 passes (61.1%) for 2,229 yards with nine touchdowns and six interceptions across 12 games. Despite being the starter every game, his stat line ranked him outside the elite tier of freshman passers nationally in key metrics such as passing efficiency and yardage per game.

But, given his high school stats, Mathieu hasn’t forgotten what made Underwood special in the first place.

Underwood finished his legendary Belleville High School career with Michigan state records for total touchdowns (173) and passing touchdowns (143). He completed 65% of his passes as a junior for 3,329 yards and 41 touchdowns against just three interceptions. Underwood, who earned MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year honors, didn’t suddenly lose his ability. He just landed in the wrong situation at the wrong time, and Mathieu knows it.​

What gives Mathieu confidence is LSU’s proven track record of developing quarterbacks into Heisman Trophy winners regardless of their playing style. And so, LSU boasts a quarterback legacy that includes Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels. Mathieu’s pitch centers on LSU’s superior skill position players. He asked rhetorically, “Would you take 20 million and go play with a bunch of bombs or would you take 5 million and go play with the next Odell Beckham?”

LSU’s Joe Burrow won it in 2019 as a pure pocket passer, throwing for 60 touchdowns in a single season. Jayden Daniels claimed the trophy in 2023 as a dual-threat weapon with 50 total touchdowns and a 70.2% completion rate. Both quarterbacks benefited from LSU’s elite offensive infrastructure and championship-caliber weapons around them. 

This is exactly what Mathieu believes Underwood needs to unlock that five-star potential that made him the consensus No. 1 recruit in the nation. 

And so, just as Moore was fired, Mathieu had taken to his X account to make his pitch for the QB: “Come home son @BryceUnderwoo16. We are waiting & will accept you with open arms. FOREVER LSU”

However, when the discussion moved from Bryce Underwood to Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, another name loosely tied to a possible Lane Kiffin reunion, Mathieu’s enthusiasm cooled quickly. What he revealed was a far less flattering assessment.

Tyrann Mathieu’s take on the Ole Miss QB For LSU

Trinidad Chambliss has emerged as one of the most productive quarterbacks in the SEC this season, guiding Ole Miss to an 11‑1 record and the program’s first College Football Playoff appearance. He was named SEC Newcomer of the Year after piling up over 3,000 passing yards and multiple 300‑yard games, while also earning weekly conference honors for his performances.

But, when asked about the possibility of Kiffin pursuing “the young guy at Ole Miss”, Trinidad Chambliss, Mathieu first asked, “Is he young?… I think (he’s) trying to get extra years.” Then came the blunt assessment. “He’s not my type of quarterback.” 

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He acknowledged that Chambliss “offers something because he can use his legs and push the ball down for a little bit. But said, “I just don’t see him on the Jaden Daniels or Joe Burrow level. And I think that’s the standard at LSU.” ​

Despite the speculation, Chambliss’ own future remains unresolved and largely out of his hands. The Ole Miss quarterback is currently awaiting a ruling on a waiver that would grant him an additional year of eligibility for the 2026 season. As of mid-December, Chambliss said he had yet to receive clarity on the decision, even as Ole Miss prepared for a College Football Playoff matchup against Tulane. 

While he has acknowledged that an extra year could open the door to significant NIL opportunities, and has not ruled out exploring all options if approved, including a potential reunion with Lane Kiffin, with whom Chambliss was a former Division II signal caller at Ferris State, but he has guided the Rebels to the College Football Playoff under Kiffin’s tutelage. Yet, his immediate focus remains on the postseason and evaluating what situation would best prepare him for the NFL.  

As Kiffin navigates his first crucial roster decisions at LSU, the path forward seems clear in Mathieu’s eyes. He wants LSU to take advantage of the upheaval that has been happening at Michigan. Bryce Underwood is potentially reconsidering his options. And LSU has a rare chance of correcting what should have been in the first place.