Michigan football knew it was getting a supreme talent when it convinced Bryce Underwood to flip from LSU and instead head to Ann Arbor. The Wolverines knew they were getting the #1 recruit in the country, who has all the talent to become the #1 pick in the draft in a few years. But even with all that hype, it's possible that Underwood was still underrated.
The top quarterback in the nation always brings tons of hype wherever he signs. Yet looking at the top quarterbacks over the past few years - Dylan Raiola, DJ Lagway, Arch Manning, Nico Iamaleava, Drew Allar, etc - one thing stands out about Bryce. He has an unbelievable love for the spotlight. This is a kid who, as a 14 year old, was quarterbacking one of the best 18u 7-on-7 football teams in the nation. As he shared on the Rich Eisen show (definitely worth a watch), he led his team to a 36-0 victory over Cam Newton's team.
We know that Bryce has all the talent in the world. So do the other #1 quarterbacks of the past 10+ years (although at 6'4, 228lbs Bryce arguably has the best physical traits of them all). But a lot of top quarterback recruits can't control the spotlight. They get tired of all the attention, national interviews, and expectations put upon them. Not Bryce.
This is a kid who met LeBron James, one of his childhood heroes, and told him "It's over for Ohio State". He seems so comfortable in the spotlight, and has consistently said the right things. Fame and attention can have bad effects on people, especially high school kids. But so far, Bryce has handled it like a 10 year NFL veteran. If there's one thing I've taken out of all the interviews he's done, it's that I'm very comfortable with him leading Michigan football.
A lot of football players have elite talent. A handful have elite leadership skills. A few have what it takes to effectively manage a surge of attention and fame. Very few have all of those skills. Bryce does, and it's why he has the potential to be the greatest college quarterback in Michigan football history. The future looks very bright in Ann Arbor.