By Noah Henson
The number one player in the nation Bryce Underwood has officially flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan, and the news has caused a surge in Wolverine recruiting.
It was rumored that Michigan was willing to pay Underwood $10.5 million in NIL to commit before signing day, and whether or not the evaluated number matches what was actually offered, there is no doubt that NIL played a factor in Underwood’s flip.
Michigan’s biggest NIL collective, Champions Circle, released a statement thanking the many boosters involved with fundraising for Underwood’s recruitment, notably mentioning billionaire and fourth richest man in the world, Larry Ellison.
Immediately following Underwood’s commitment to the Wolverines, Michigan began receiving crystal balls for other highly touted targets in the 2025 cycle. Here is what we know about the remaining Wolverine targets reactions to Bryce’s commitment.
Derek Meadows
Four star LSU wide receiver commit Derek Meadows seems to want to be a package deal with Underwood, as only minutes after Bryce’s commitment, On3 logged a crystal ball for Meadows to flip from LSU to Michigan.
At 6-foot-6 200 pounds, Meadows is a nightmare match up as he has a rare blend of size, speed and athleticism.
If he ends up committing to Michigan, he could end up being an immediate red zone threat for a Wolverines team that has lacked firepower at the wide receiver position over the last couple of years.
Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng
Before the announcement of Underwood’s commitment, four star linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng was already considered a Michigan lean with analyst Tom Loy logging a crystal ball in favor of the Wolverines on Nov. 13.
However, Owusu-Boateng planned to visit Texas on Saturday, Nov. 23 for the Longhorns contest with the Kentucky Wildcats.
Following the announcement of Bryce Underwood’s flip, he announced via twitter that he would no longer be taking a visit to Austin this upcoming weekend, which seems to be a good sign for the team in maize and blue.
Jahkeem Stewart
Five star Edna Karr defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart took note of Underwood’s decision and will be in Columbus for 2024’s rendition of “The Game” on Saturday, Nov. 30.
The 6-foot-6 lineman is extremely versatile and could make a difference for the Wolverines on both the interior and edge with his impressive linear athleticism.
Though he has not been crystal balled to a destination, it is worth mentioning that Director of Recruiting at On3 Steve Wiltfong tweeted that to his knowledge Michigan has the right infrastructure and resources in place to make a late run in his recruitment.
Bradley Gompers
Duke commit and four star linebacker Bradley Gompers was crystal balled by Steve Wiltfong to flip to Michigan almost immediately following the Underwood decision.
The 6-foot-5 Duke commit was high school teammates with current Wolverine freshman Cole Sullivan, who has made an effort of his own to recruit his former teammate.
What follows?
There are plenty more targets on Michigan’s board that are still undecided, but the momentum for the Wolverines is there as they approach the early signing deadline.
UofM’s class currently sits at 9th, but analysts across the many recruiting websites are expecting a monumental jump by the time the classes wrap up, with Michigan having a real chance to have a top 5 recruiting class for the first time since 2017.
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