Report: LSU ‘more than doubled’ NIL budget after Bryce Underwood flipped to Michigan

Incoming Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood was the No. 1 recruit in the nation, and when he flipped from LSU, the news broke on ESPN. It was a big deal for the Wolverines, as they were in dire need of a signal-caller of the future. LSU still has junior QB Garrett Nussmeier, but it has reportedly taken steps to ensure it never loses another top recruit.

Michigan flipping Bryce Underwood made LSU dig deeper into pockets

When Underwood made the flip, it made the Tigers look in the mirror. Per Pete Nakos of On3 ($), “LSU’s budget has more than doubled in recent months, now north of $18 million.”

“If Bryce Underwood’s decision to flip to Michigan was a flashpoint, it’s resulted in a flush of NIL dollars,” Nakos wrote.

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The Wolverines became a major player in NIL when Larry and Jolin Ellison came into the picture. Jolin is a Michigan alumnus, and Larry is the CEO and founder of powerhouse software company Oracle and is reportedly worth over $230 billion.

Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool and Michigan alumnus, also played a key role. The “renaissance of Michigan”, as Portnoy called it, came into fruition when he first spoke with the Ellisons.

“… But, oh boy, Michigan is back. And I didn’t know how it would come about, or the role I would play. But Jolin, on that first phone call, she’s like, ‘I needed someone from Michigan to show that they cared as much as I did’. And then it was like the mega-powers uniting.”

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore made it a focus to keep Underwood (Belleville High, Belleville, MI) at home. After December’s signing day, Moore said he got it done with frequent communication.

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“Constant. Just wanting to be around, wanting to talk to him as much as I could,” Moore said. “The contact really didn’t stop. (We) just tried to build a relationship. That’s what this thing is all about, it’s about relationships. For us, we wanted to build the strongest relationship we could to make him know that he’s a priority and make him part of our program.”

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