Imagine Bryce Underwood in that purple and gold entering the Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and piecing passes like effortless darts game after game. This is one of the scenarios that could have played out in college football this year. Sherrone Moore wouldn’t have gotten his prized possession, and Brian Kelly would still be commending Joe Sloan and Cortez Hankton’s recruitment. But all it took was a FaceTime call with Tom Brady, some persuasion from Oracle’s founder Larry Ellison, and a promise of $12 million NIL money. Poof! In a second, Bryce Underwood discarded that purple and gold, donned that maize and blue, and came hopping into Ann Arbor.The move became a landmark NIL capture in college football, and Sherrone Moore became the architect as he pulled a 6’31/2″ and 205 lbs rabbit out of his hat. So, with that hype and a mountain of expectations, the new Michigan prodigy started practicing in spring. But there, he might have realized that the QB1 spot may not be so easy to take, since there were more than enough competitors around. Mikey Keene, the Fresno State transfer, and Davis Warren might have become thorns in Underwood’s QB1 dream. And Jadyn Davis?
“I’ve never been scared to compete… I’m going to do what is right for me and my family. ” Declared Jadyn Davis and made his stance on the QB1 battle clear. Then, after the spring practices culminated and spring games rolled in, a whole new scenario came to life. Let’s just say Bryce Underwood didn’t have the performance that 40,000 Michigan folks at the Big House were expecting. The QB threw for 187 yards, completing just 12 of his 26 passes, and even took a sack on his first snap. The spring games were opening up a whole new scenario that Bryce Underwood needed to reckon with.
