The number one high school quarterback and overall recruit in the country has flipped his commitment. Underwood, who had been committed to LSU and coach Brian Kelly since January decided this week to back out of the Tigers' offer and take a new offer from Michigan. The Wolverines and coach Sherrone Moore have been in high pursuit of Underwood for months, attempting to at least get him to decommit from LSU as a start. They have finished the job entirely as Underwood not only left the Tigers but engaged himself in the offer to move to Ann Arbor. The campus sits just 22 miles from Underwood's hometown of Belleville, MI where he attends Belleville High School.

The flip of the high-profile recruit comes with twists and turns that suggest an entirely new avenue for colleges to acquire young players. While the NIL value of Underwood's offer from LSU is unknown, it is estimated to have been worth around $2.1 million which is right at his valuation per On3 recruiting. Michigan entered the negotiations a few months ago as they did not want to let a local and talented prospect walk out the door. The UM offer reportedly is worth $10.5 million and initially Underwood had reportedly turned it down and chose to stick with the Bayou Bengals.

This offer is not simply lucrative, but it showcases a new way for large brands to spend. Much of the $10.5 million has supposedly came from UM grad and Barstool Sports founder, Dave Portnoy. Portnoy publicly declared that if college football was simply pay to win then he would donate large sums of money to ensure his beloved program could afford any prospect they wanted. It seems that the savvy businessman has pulled off his latest venture.

With this deal setting a new precedent in both price tags and streams of cash flow, other well-known brands could likely seek out similar feats. A potential deal between all sorts of companies could be made to continue the lines of talent at a university. The Barstool Sports funded Michigan program. A Coca-Cola backed Georgia Bulldogs. Disney's USC Trojans or Florida Gators. The list could go on and on. Wealthy individuals and companies could buy into programs as an investment opportunity, placing their ads and logos on fields, gear, and uniforms rather than simply a stadium's name. Look at Texas Tech's newest uniform combo. It features Patrick Mahomes' personal brand logo on the chest. Big name brands could become even bigger. Smaller brands could be made huge. Say Disney doesn't invest in Florida but rather UCF, conveniently located in Orlando as they are. UCF would have one of the largest brands in the US to bolster their own.

Yes, the Bryce Underwood deal is ludicrous. It is more than simply dollar bills being passed around. It opens opportunity for programs to seek out brands with ties to them for financial backing. Ultimately, it will reflect the MLB's talent dispersion as there is no limit to spending so long as the owners come up with the cash. College football is radically changing and this week it just changed again.