'25 MI QB Bryce Underwood (Michigan Verbal)

[Wild Bill]

Again, Lebron James signed a 7-year, $87 million deal with Nike before ever playing an NBA game. So this whole "too much too fast" argument is just bunk.

And if it sets a precedent next year for another five-star, and the team doesn't like it/doesn't want to pay, don't recruit the kid. Pretty simple.

The issue isn’t whether it’s too much too fast or that the money is "unearned" - money has always been thrown around based on potential, so that’s not relevant imo.

The real question is how this money will impact his development. For most 18 year olds, it’s likely to have a negative effect.

Lebron is an outlier, a uniquely gifted athlete playing in a different sport. He could physically and athletically compete with the best players in the world from day one, with minimal development. Yes, he worked hard after earning his money, but he never truly struggled.

This kid will need to grind it out, building his body, sharpening his skillset, and studying the game incessantly to reach his full potential. Even if he becomes an AA at Michigan (vomit), he’ll face another uphill battle in the NFL, where he’ll have to prove himself all over again. That’s a lot of adversity for someone who already has millions in the bank before ever stepping onto the field.

 

[greyhammer90]

The issue isn’t whether it’s too much too fast or that the money is "unearned" - money has always been thrown around based on potential, so that’s not relevant imo.

The real question is how this money will impact his development. For most 18 year olds, it’s likely to have a negative effect.

Lebron is an outlier, a uniquely gifted athlete playing in a different sport. He could physically and athletically compete with the best players in the world from day one, with minimal development. Yes, he worked hard after earning his money, but he never truly struggled.

This kid will need to grind it out, building his body, sharpening his skillset, and studying the game incessantly to reach his full potential. Even if he becomes an AA at Michigan (vomit), he’ll face another uphill battle in the NFL, where he’ll have to prove himself all over again. That’s a lot of adversity for someone who already has millions in the bank before ever stepping onto the field.

Totally agreed. Whether or not there's some "moral" issue with paying a kid that much money isn't something I care a ton about, but unless he's some sort of football sociopath, getting a bag that early is going to have some effect on his development.

I can honestly say if someone paid me 12 million in college, it would've negatively impacted my drive to do anything beyond the bare minimum necessary for me to earn that money.

 

[ndfanatic78]

Why not? Lebron James signed a multimillion dollar Nike deal before stepping foot on an NBA court. He had "done nothing" at that point. Why is that ok, but not college kids taking advantage of the same market?

I love how you bring up a once in a lifetime generational talent like that is the norm. By the way that was a corporation who did that and it was not on behalf of a team or to get him to sign with a school or team. It also was not individual people donating to a NIL fund representing universities of higher learning. Beyond that again Michigan and the others can do what ever they want but as been stated by many people they are going to be wasting millions doing so just like the NBA and NFL was doing and why they put caps on rookie salaries because they were waisting hundreds of millions of dollars on busts.

 

[ndfanatic78]

The issue isn’t whether it’s too much too fast or that the money is "unearned" - money has always been thrown around based on potential, so that’s not relevant imo.

The real question is how this money will impact his development. For most 18 year olds, it’s likely to have a negative effect.

Lebron is an outlier, a uniquely gifted athlete playing in a different sport. He could physically and athletically compete with the best players in the world from day one, with minimal development. Yes, he worked hard after earning his money, but he never truly struggled.

This kid will need to grind it out, building his body, sharpening his skillset, and studying the game incessantly to reach his full potential. Even if he becomes an AA at Michigan (vomit), he’ll face another uphill battle in the NFL, where he’ll have to prove himself all over again. That’s a lot of adversity for someone who already has millions in the bank before ever stepping onto the field.

Much more articulate than my response and reasoned than my response. 🤣

 

[Me2SouthBend]

So if it's 12 million as rumored, is there anyone on the UM coaching staff making more than freshman Underwood?

How about professors that have to deal w this kid. Any chance he has to actually step foot in a classroom there? Truly curious.

 

[MacIrish75]

Money makes you soft. That’s why I prefer a job with only a five figure salary.

 

[Wild Bill]

Totally agreed. Whether or not there's some "moral" issue with paying a kid that much money isn't something I care a ton about, but unless he's some sort of football sociopath, getting a bag that early is going to have some effect on his development.

I can honestly say if someone paid me 12 million in college, it would've negatively impacted my drive to do anything beyond the bare minimum necessary for me to earn that money.

In another life, may this crushing burden of motivation fall solely on me, sparing the rest of you. I’ll bear it with grace.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

FWIW Nico I got his cash 2 years ago and he is probably the best case example of buying a top prospect and even then, its not like he is setting the world on fire.

2,046 yards, 11 TD, 4 INT, 64.6% COMP.

I want Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders numbers if I'm shelling out stupid millions for a high school kid. That's ultimately what I would expect. I don't think that's very realistic, though.

Maybe Nico does that next year or in 2026, but for that kind of money, I want Ron Powlus Beano Cook production.

This is all so silly. ND going for their 10th win of the season tomorrow on the cusp of hosting a playoff game and we're in the midst of a Friday Michigan recruiting news dump. Barf.

 

[Katzenboyer]

The issue isn’t whether it’s too much too fast or that the money is "unearned" - money has always been thrown around based on potential, so that’s not relevant imo.

The real question is how this money will impact his development. For most 18 year olds, it’s likely to have a negative effect.

Why does that matter? These kids put their bodies on the line every single weekend, and throughout the season/spring. That can't be good for development either.

The argument basically amounts to "too much money too early for these kids is a bad thing" does not provide justification to avoid these kinds of payments. The market says Underwood is worth $12 million. It's not the kids' fault he took it.

Lebron is an outlier, a uniquely gifted athlete playing in a different sport. He could physically and athletically compete with the best players in the world from day one, with minimal development. Yes, he worked hard after earning his money, but he never truly struggled.

Who's to say that Underwood is any different? Or any other freshman that's come into college football and dominated right away?

Herschel Walker ran for 1600 yards his freshman year and finished third in the Heisman voting. Clearly he was an "outlier" and a "uniquely gift athlete." Should he not be compensated for that dominance?

This kid will need to grind it out, building his body, sharpening his skillset, and studying the game incessantly to reach his full potential. Even if he becomes an AA at Michigan (vomit), he’ll face another uphill battle in the NFL, where he’ll have to prove himself all over again. That’s a lot of adversity for someone who already has millions in the bank before ever stepping onto the field.

Why? Again, what's the justification? Because you worry that the kid will let the money go to his head and he won't play well?

Guess what - that's the risk the payor takes! Vet the kid, due your diligence, but if someone is going to mail it in once they get paid, it's not the kid's fault for accepting - it's on the payor for making a bad investment.

Again, I have no sympathy for the pearl clutchers here. These kids make the school BILLIONS. There's nothing wrong with a kid getting a piece.

 

[Katzenboyer]

I love how you bring up a once in a lifetime generational talent like that is the norm. By the way that was a corporation who did that and it was not on behalf of a team or to get him to sign with a school or team. It also was not individual people donating to a NIL fund representing universities of higher learning. Beyond that again Michigan and the others can do what ever they want but as been stated by many people they are going to be wasting millions doing so just like the NBA and NFL was doing and why they put caps on rookie salaries because they were waisting hundreds of millions of dollars on busts.

The point was that kids that age shouldn't get paid that much. Lebron showed that you can get that money and still turn into be a decent person that stays out of trouble and becomes one of the greatest of all time.

The market is the market, and the corporation/booster argument is a distinction without a difference. If someone decides that Bryce Underwood is worth $12 million, then the kid should take that and no one should feel bad about it.

 

[greyhammer90]

.

I think you're misconstruing what people are saying. I don't think anyone is blaming the kid for taking it, or saying that kids shouldn't get paid. The point most are making is that this acceleration of pay for play is going to be unsustainable from a larger system perspective (which doesnt mean you have to care), and that some people think that getting paid retirement money at 18 is likely to result in a high bust rate (which doesn't mean kids shouldn't take it, but it'll be interesting to see what happens as a result).

 

[ndfanatic78]

The point was that kids that age shouldn't get paid that much. Lebron showed that you can get that money and still turn into be a decent person that stays out of trouble and becomes one of the greatest of all time.

The market is the market, and the corporation/booster argument is a distinction without a difference. If someone decides that Bryce Underwood is worth $12 million, then the kid should take that and no one should feel bad about it.

Again you are missing the point and like others have said I am done bumping these threads after this response. No one ever said the kid shouldn't take what he was being offered or that he should feel bad about it. Its not good for the game and typically its not good for the kid to get that much money at that age, but yes if someone is going to give it to him than he 100% is entitled to take it, and I haven't heard 1 person say he shouldn't in this discussion. Again you bring up James like he is the majority when he is by far the minority and there are countless others that have totally busted after getting the huge pay day. Hence why both the NBA and NFL put in rules limiting rookie contracts. There is a difference between NIL collectives and corporations but you choose not to see it. That is your choice. Peace I am done with this and am going to enjoy and discuss the awesome ride our favorite Irish football team is on.

 

[ThePiombino]

Money makes you soft. That’s why I prefer a job with only a five figure salary.

FYI you're not supposed to count after the decimal

 

[T-Boone]

Maybe this has already been posted but I read this AM that Underwood will be paid $12MM. Didn’t take long for things to spiral out of control.

That will ruin him

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Turned down $10M so they upped it to $12M. To play college ball 30 minutes from where he lives.

But ND is falling off on recruiting.

Whatever, dude.

 

[Irish4life]

Turned down $10M so they upped it to $12M. To play college ball 30 minutes from where he lives.

But ND is falling off on recruiting.

Whatever, dude.

Reaction is much different to all of this if ND has a top 10 QB recruit in this class IMHO.

 

[calvegas04]

Turned down $10M so they upped it to $12M. To play college ball 30 minutes from where he lives.

But ND is falling off on recruiting.

Whatever, dude.

Were offering packs of gum and unopened Pokémon card packs for our QBs, recruiting isn't great

 

[irishu]

 

[Rockin’Irish]

Again, Lebron James signed a 7-year, $87 million deal with Nike before ever playing an NBA game. So this whole "too much too fast" argument is just bunk.

And if it sets a precedent next year for another five-star, and the team doesn't like it/doesn't want to pay, don't recruit the kid. Pretty simple.

IMO, comparing Lebron‘s and Bryce’s situations are not even close to the same. I still don’t think things are headed in a great direction and certainly not how NIL was expected to go. Nonetheless, it doesn’t really matter what you or I think because our impact on how NIL progresses is indeed, nil.

 

[WildMan1]

Michigan is off the chain right now.. they just offered the #1 DE that’s committed to Georgia & apparently throwing huge money at him too.

I’m in a jealous rage 😂

 

[GowerND11]

Kid is making more than a QB who just played in the Super Bowl…

 

[TheGhostofGregHudson]

The reaction to this, Meadows, and others is dumb. This kid will not be even close to a finished product until his junior year, by which point he may have transferred elsewhere (as Ewers, Dante Moore, and other top QBs have done during the portal era). ND needs kids that want to be there and don't play games before they set foot on campus.

As MF once wisely said (discussing Phil Jurkovec): "This place weeds non-resilient people out."

Don't lose your mind over a WR going elsewhere. Keon Keeley is riding pine and Peyton Bowen is mired in mediocrity at OU.

Anyone calling for Al Washington or Mike Brown's job over recruiting is an absolute clown.

Also, calling Michigan "skunkbear" is insanely corny.

 

[SeekNDestroy]

The reaction to this, Meadows, and others is dumb. This kid will not be even close to a finished product until his junior year, by which point he may have transferred elsewhere (as Ewers, Dante Moore, and other top QBs have done during the portal era). ND needs kids that want to be there and don't play games before they set foot on campus.

As MF once wisely said (discussing Phil Jurkovec): "This place weeds non-resilient people out."

Don't lose your mind over a WR going elsewhere. Keon Keeley is riding pine and Peyton Bowen is mired in mediocrity at OU.

Anyone calling for Al Washington or Mike Brown's job over recruiting is an absolute clown.

Also, calling Michigan "skunkbear" is insanely corny.

 

[INLaw]

🌽 🌽 skunkbear 🌽 🌽
Im a hoosier slap dick I was born to corn

 

[TheGhostofGregHudson]

Your neckbeard is showing.

 

[IAIrish]

is funny how his family deemed 10 mil "offensive" but had no problem with 12 mil lol

They'll renegotiate after the first season. Or the first game..

 

[irishandy]

The amount of NIL for some kids in this sport is out of control, kids deserve to get paid, but this much??

When he turned down Michigan's offer last week I praised his character, did Michigan all of a sudden get involved in his recruitment?

It will be interesting to see these if these high profile QB's that are getting paid will stick around for 3-4 years.

Michigan hasn't been sanctioned yet; will they & will their kids stick?

 

[Plankton]

When you sign a kid for that much money, you don’t own the kid - the kid owns you.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Were offering packs of gum and unopened Pokémon card packs for our QBs, recruiting isn't great

Neither is your perspective. In the end, we all make do.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Reaction is much different to all of this if ND has a top 10 QB recruit in this class IMHO.

Nah, I think the minority would still have something to bitch about.

Plenty of room on that Michigan bandwagon if that's what suits people.