Brian Kelly's best chance at saving his job just ditched him for the Big Ten
By Quinn Everts
The top recruit in the class of 2025, Bryce Underwood, is headed to Michigan — and this is not the news Brian Kelly wanted to hear.
After a brutal stretch in which LSU lost three straight SEC games, dropping its record to 6-4 on the year, Brian Kelly's team was knocked out of contention for anything meaningful in college football this season. Now, the Tigers have lost their prized recruit for next year too, as Underwood flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan on Thursday.
The biggest saving grace Kelly had to look forward to after this season was that next year, he'd be welcoming Underwood, the No. 1 recruit in 2025 and consensus 5-star recruit, to Baton Rouge. Underwood originally committed to LSU earlier this year as Brian Kelly and Tigers fans alike were giddy at the thought of Underwood restoring LSU's place among the college football elite.
Well, that's not happening anymore.
BREAKING: Five-Star Plus+ QB Bryce Underwood has Flipped his Commitment from LSU to Michigan, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) November 21, 2024
The No. 1 Recruit in the ‘25 Class had been Committed to the Tigers since January
“I’m home.”https://t.co/grnjBpYWgO pic.twitter.com/AwCzUNEkdU
Bryce Underwood is staying home
Michigan fans were hurt when Underwood — who is from Belleville, Michigan — committed to LSU in January. But about ten months later, those fans have gotten their wish as Underwood, who is viewed as a program-changing talent, has decided to stay in his home state and play for Sherrone Moore.
Underwood completely changes the trajectory of the Michigan program for at least the next few years. After a National Championship last year, the Wolverines have been a massive disappointment, and are just trying to qualify for a bowl game in the season's final few weeks.
Brian Kelly's saving grace ditched him for the Big Ten
No matter how quickly this season has gone off the rails, it wasn't hard to rile up excitement among Tiger fans for the future with Underwood looking like he was on the way to Baton Rouge. Now, that dream is dead and Brian Kelly doesn't have a program-saving talent coming his way any longer.
Kelly's seat probably isn't scorching hot yet — it would cost the program a boatload of money to fire him — but this is a pretty big blow for the Tigers.