Bryce Underwood NIL explained: What to know about Michigan’s ‘Champions Circle’ that sparked a $10.5 million recruiting flip

The college football recruiting world is still abuzz with the shocking news of five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood transferring from LSU to Michigan. This news made Tigers head coach Brian Kelly even more angry that he is having a terrible November.

But for first-year head coach Sherrone Moore and the Wolverines, Underwood is huge pickup truck for the 2025 recruiting class. Not to mention, this is one of the first big turns Moore can fully call his own – most of Michigan’s 2024 class was made under former coach Jim Harbaugh.

Why did Underwood finally turn around? There are mixed reports about a Michigan-based NIL collective called Champions Circle that is said to be at the center of this situation. Let’s take a look at the big names associated with Champions Circle that were involved in Underwood’s coup and what it could mean for Michigan State’s recruiting future.

NCAF headquarters: NCAAF live scores | Updated NCAAF Rankings | Full NCAAF schedule

Bryce Underwood NIL money details

Underwood’s flip doesn’t come cheap. According to Dennis Dodds of CBS Sports, a rumored trade with Michigan is imminent 10 million dollars. New York Post Office reported the exact amount is $10.5 million. According to AdvocateLSU’s NIL offer to Underwood was around $1.5 million.

As for those responsible for the flip, Moore deserves a lot of credit. For Matt Zenitz of CBS SportsOn Monday and Tuesday, Underwood made a secret visit to Ann Arbor, where he shadowed Moore at practices, attended meetings and generally learned more about Michigan State.

Zenitz adds that Underwood teamed up with former Wolverines star and future NFL Hall of Famer Tom Brady, which also contributed to the change.

Yet another organization that seems to have played a key role in achieving this goal: Michigan NIL’s Champions Circle collective. Celebrities associated with the collective include Michigan booster Nate Forbes – managing partner of The Forbes Company – as well as boosters Jolin and Larry Ellison. Circle of Champions released statement regarding Underwood’s commitment to name all three people:

Welcome to Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 recruit in the country

We want to thank our Founding Members and others associated with the Champions Circle who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to enable us to continue working to build championship teams in Michigan.

Founding member and president Nate Forbes said, “We are very excited to keep Bryce home in Michigan as he continues to build his legacy. I want to personally thank Jolin and Larry Ellison, who have been instrumental in making this happen by providing Champions Circle with invaluable guidance and financial resources.”

We encourage all parties who have publicly expressed interest in supporting NIL’s efforts in Michigan to join the 11,000 people who have supported Champions Circle. For all fans who want to support our efforts to keep Michigan as the leader and best, please donate through our “Those Who Stay (At Home)…” fundraising campaign.

Larry Ellison is a billionaire and co-founder of Oracle. He is apparently the second richest man in the world. Even though he’s from New York and grew up in Chicago, he clearly played a key role in Underwood’s transformation. It’s unclear what his connection to the school is beyond Underwood’s recent recruitment. (Note: Jolin’s identity is unclear at this time.)

One other name involved in the case is reportedly Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports. While it is unclear whether he was financially involved in any way, the Michigan State alum stated that he spoke with Underwood and his family during the trial.

“Everyone says, ‘Dave, how involved were you?’ Look, there are a lot of other factors… Have I talked to my family? Have we presented a plan? Portnoy said.

What is the Circle of Champions?

Champions Circle is a Michigan-based NIL collective that supports athletes in all sports on behalf of the Wolverines. This is what belongs to the collective The “Who We Are” page reads: :

Champions Circle® is a community of fans, alumni and supporters dedicated to empowering University of Michigan student-athletes to be leaders and the best through name, image and likeness.

Champions Circle® is committed to working within NCAA and university guidelines to ensure Michigan remains at the forefront of college athletics. Champions Circle® partners with Valiant Management Group (VMG) to host our NIL events and assist with fundraising and marketing efforts.

The website also lists numerous board members, including Forbes. According to the list of the best NIL collectives by On3SportsChampions Circle ranks 13th in the country. Per On3, each collective is estimated to have spent over $200 million this year.

Larry Ellison net worth

In 1979, Ellison co-founded Oracle Corporation, an international computer technology company. According to Forbes: his net worth is approximately $235.3 billion — yes, that’s a billion, with a b. Forbes placed Ellison second on its list of billionaires, behind Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX.

Dave Portnoy net worth

Portnoy, who founded Barstool Sports in 2004, has reported net worth approximately $150 million.

What Underwood’s flip means for Michigan

It’s no secret that the Wolverines struggled at the quarterback position in Michigan’s first season without Jim Harbaugh. Michigan State was between Davis Warren and Jack Tuttle. With only two games remaining against Northwestern and Ohio State, the Wolverines are not yet bowl eligible with just five wins.

As Bill Bender of the Sporting News notesUnderwood is Michigan’s highest-rated quarterback according to 247Sports and only the fifth five-star signal-caller the Wolverines have signed since 2005. The last two were Chad Henne in 2005 and Ryan Mallett in 2007.

Regardless of how the deal was done, it’s a gigantic recruiting win for Moore and Michigan that gets the Wolverines back into the playoffs and in the Big Ten title conversation in 2025.