ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A former NFL player who coached Bryce Underwood made an incredibly bold statement about Michigan football’s new quarterback.
Underwood, the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan on Thursday evening, giving the Wolverines the five-star quarterback they desperately needed for next season.
READ: No matter how much Bryce Underwood is getting paid, it’s worth it for Michigan
Ryan Clark, a former NFL defensive back who went to LSU, talked about Underwood on ESPN’s “First Take.” Clark coached Underwood in a seven-on-seven league.
To say Clark’s praise was effusive would be an understatement.
“What’s crazy is: I came out of seven-on-seven coaching retirement for Bryce Underwood,” Clark said. “I coached a team this summer because he was going to be the quarterback.
“I’ve seen Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young -- you name it. Jayden Daniels. At this age, he’s better than every single one of them.
“The way he throws the football, the way he moves, the way he leads, the sort of kid that he is. I was excited about what LSU could do in the future because of him.”
Young and Daniels are recent Heisman trophy winners, while Lawrence, Fields, and Stroud all finished top-three for the award. Comparing a high schooler to that group is definitely going out on a limb.
Underwood joins a Michigan team that’s 5-5 following last year’s 15-0 championship campaign. The trio of Davis Warren, Alex Orji, and Jack Tuttle haven’t inspired much confidence in the quarterback room going forward, so Underwood was a must-get prospect for Sherrone Moore’s staff.
Even if he’s not the mega-star Clark expects, he will at least be a major upgrade for the Maize and Blue.
