Wolverine Digest

Michigan QB commit links up with Bryce Underwood and 5-star WR on recruiting visit

The Michigan Wolverines are utilizing star QB Bryce Underwood on the recruiting trail to help sell the opportunity in Ann Arbor.

Chris Breiler

Michigan Football
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It was another big recruiting weekend for the Wolverines, with a number of the nation's top prospects descending upon Ann Arbor for their official visits. Although getting to know the coaches and seeing the facilities are a big part of recruiting visits, it's also nice when you can bring out big-name players who can assist in the recruiting effort. That's exactly what Michigan is doing with freshman QB Bryce Underwood.

He hasn't even played a snap of college football yet, but you could make a strong argument that Underwood is one of the most popular players in the sport right now. The former five-star QB made headlines when he flipped from LSU to Michigan and hauled in a reported NIL deal well north of $10 million. Michigan's aggressiveness in the pursuit of Underwood seems to signal that the Wolverines have no intention of falling off after winning the national championship back in 2023. And while the "ground-and-pound" approach offensively will always play a role in Ann Arbor, it appears that head coach Sherrone Moore is serious about making significant upgrades to the passing attack.

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Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

So when highly rated offensive weapons make their way to Ann Arbor for an official visit, it makes sense to have Underwood involved in that process.

Over the weekend, four-star QB Brady Smigiel shared a photo to his Twitter/X account that included himself, Underwood, and five-star WR Calvin Russell.


Smigiel, a 6-5, 205-pound prospect out of California, is rated as a top 10 QB nationally for the 2026 class, and he pledged his commitment to the Wolverines back in April. Russell, a five-star dual-sport athlete out of Florida, is rated as the No. 5 overall wide receiver in the nation for the 2026 class according to 247Sports Composite.

Although Michigan wasn't believed to be a real player in Russell's recruitment before last weekend's visit, it sounds like the Wolverines are now viewed as a legitimate contender.

There are no projections for Russell yet, but the Florida native does hold over 50 offers as of this writing. And it should come as no surprise that all of the heavy-hitters are involved, including Miami, Oregon, LSU, Alabama, and Georgia. But Michigan reportedly made a strong impression on the five-star WR, one that will give him something to think about as he nears his decision date of July 5th.

- Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI -

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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