Michigan’s season took another hit Saturday, and Bryce Underwood was at the center of it.
The Wolverines dropped to 3-2 after a 20-14 loss to Minnesota, a game Michigan led 14-7 at halftime before the Golden Gophers ripped off 10 unanswered points in the second half. Underwood’s mistakes helped swing things the other way, with two interceptions after the break leading directly to two Minnesota scoring drives.
That kind of night naturally brings the money conversation back into focus. Underwood’s NIL story has been one of the loudest in college football since Michigan pulled him away from LSU.
The Wolverines, their NIL collective, Oracle founder Larry Ellison and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy were all heavily involved in the push to land him. Underwood had been a longtime LSU commit before Michigan surged late, and he arrived in Ann Arbor as the No. 1 overall player in the 2025 class.
On3Sports has Underwood’s NIL valuation at $3 million for 2026. As recently as August of 2026, On3’s Pete Nakos called Underwood’s Michigan package "one of the most lucrative NIL packages to date for a high school recruit."
CBS Sports reported that when Underwood flipped from LSU to Michigan, the deal was believed to be closer to $10 million. If he stays at Michigan for three seasons, that $3 million annual figure would put him in that same neighborhood.
On a per-game basis, the math is stark. Based on that $3 million number and a standard 12-game schedule, Underwood is making $250,000 per game.
Against Minnesota, he didn’t deliver like a quarterback carrying that kind of price tag. Underwood finished 10-of-21 for 101 yards with two interceptions, and he added 20 rushing yards on 10 carries.
Now the question in Ann Arbor is whether Michigan sticks with him. A quarterback change is clearly on the table with games still ahead against Indiana, Oregon, UCLA, and Ohio State. After the loss, UM head coach Kyle Whittingham said offensive changes could be coming, and that could include personnel.
Underwood’s backup is Tommy Carr, a former 4-star quarterback prospect and the grandson of legendary former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, who coached the Wolverines from 1995-2007.
Whittingham was asked earlier in the year whether he would consider making a switch after Underwood’s uneven Week 1 showing against Western Michigan. His answer was simple:
"He's our quarterback right now"
Whether that remains true in the weeks ahead is now one of the bigger questions around Michigan.
In Other News...
Gophers Beat Michigan But The Polls Still Sent A Message
Beating Michigan should have been the kind of result that changes a teams standing in a hurry, especially for a Minnesota group with so much history working against it in that matchup. Instead, the latest AP and Coaches Polls delivered a more modest verdict on the Gophers, who sat just outside the top 25 after the win and had to settle for being an also-considered team in both rankings.
Minnesota collected 19 votes in the AP Poll, tied for 32nd, and 40 in the Coaches Poll, which placed it 33rd. For a program that finally banked a signature victory over the Wolverines, the message from the voters was clear enough: the win mattered, but not enough to fully change perceptions yet. [Read more 🡒]
PJ Fleck Had A Wild Postgame Moment Gophers Fans Will Love
P.J. Fleck has never been shy about turning a Minnesota football win into a full-blown moment, and his latest postgame celebration fit right into that reputation. After the Gophers recent victory, the coach celebrated by drinking from the Little Brown Jug, the old trophy tied to the programs rivalry with Michigan and one of the more recognizable symbols in Big Ten football.
It also came with the kind of edge and theatrics that have long defined Flecks sideline style in Minneapolis. Fans have seen him lean into the emotion before, including the memorable moment after the Washington win when he wiped a players blood on his face, and those scenes help explain why his tenure keeps drawing attention beyond the box score. With his coaching record and contract status always part of the broader conversation, Fleck remains one of the most distinctive figures in the sport, especially when the wins start piling up. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Waste Strong Start In Frustrating Season Opener Loss
A delayed start and a promising opening quickly gave way to a frustrating night for Minnesota, which opened its 2026-27 season with a 3-2 loss to Michigan Tech at John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. The Gophers did enough early to put themselves in position, getting goals from Tate Pritchard and Beckett Hendrickson while Luca Di Pasquo turned aside several dangerous chances in net.
Michigan Tech still found a way to finish the job, scoring the winner late in the third period and sending Minnesota home with a loss in its first game of the year. For a team trying to set the tone right away, the mix of a slow rink, a strong start and a late collapse made this one feel like a missed opportunity. [Read more 🡒]