5 thoughts on Early Signing Day for Michigan football

Michigan football signed an elite recruiting class that included Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 quarterback. Here are five thoughts on everything that transpired.

Michigan football signee Bryce Underwood looks on during national signing day at Belleville High School in Belleville on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024.
Michigan football signee Bryce Underwood looks on during national signing day at Belleville High School in Belleville on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
1 of 5

Early Signing Day went exactly as planned for Michigan football. There was hope they would be able to pull off another flip, but they did land a four-star linebacker, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, who is ranked in the top 150 overall and was previously uncommitted.

The biggest prize for Michigan football and in the entire 2025 recruiting class was Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 prospect and quarterback. Fans were worried when a signature wasn't announced early but there was never anything to be concerned about.

Underwood made it official later in the day and took part in a signing ceremony with Elijah Dotson, a four-star cornerback who also signed with Michigan football.

The Wolverines class is ranked seventh according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. Tight end Andrew Olesh didn't sign. That's expected to happen on Friday. Both Oregon and Penn State are still in the mix. Jayden Sanders is the only other commitment who hasn't signed and that wil happen on Thursday.

Olesh is an elite tight end. He's just under 6-foot-5 and is ranked 56th overall in the 2025 class according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. If Olesh signs that would be six commitments in the top 100 overall.

Michigan football will have signed 10 of the top 200 and 13 of the top 300. It's an impressive haul that could include another five-star offensive tackle. Yet, here are five thoughts on Early Signing Day.

The cornerstone

Like most Michigan football fans, the thing I cared about the most was about Bryce Underwood signing. He's the most important recruit the Wolverines have signed since J.J. McCarthy and that's the only true rival.

Some have compared his commitment to Drew Henson. It was equally important for Sherrone Moore, as it was for Lloyd Carr back in the day, just to build some momentum, but Underwood isn't a baseball player. He's a legit candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in three years.

Underwood is 6-foot-3.5, 205 pounds. He's ready to play right away. Michigan is expected to add a transfer for competition and depth. It will be good to have someone for Underwood to learn from. Yet, he's been compared to Vince Young.

Bryce has the size and he can run. But he's got an elite arm. The top-ranked player in the state of Michigan has all the tools and whatever the cost, it was worth it.

Schedule

Schedule