“Next DJ Uiagalelei”: CFB fans react as analyst draws comparisons between Michigan’s $12M QB Bryce Underwood and Trevor Lawrence

Bryce Underwood is arguably the biggest true freshman prospect heading into the 2025 college football season. Michigan flipped the quarterback over in November after months of being committed to LSU, and he's shown some glimpses to the coaches during the spring camp.

There's been widespread discussion on the possibility of Underwood earning the starting role with the Wolverines next season. This led RJ Young to raise a debate that compares him with former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who entered the scene as a true freshman.

"Do you think Bryce Underwood will have a better career than Trevor Lawrence? Young asked (Timestamp: 1:11). “That is to say, do you think the next three years for Bryce Underwood will be better than the three years that Trevor Lawrence gave to Clemson?

“I will remind you, Trevor Lawrence had one of the best three-year stretches of any quarterback in the history of the game, okay? But when you were the number one quarterback coming out of your class and they're paying you $12 million, we're going to compare you to the best.”

However, many fans remain skeptical about Bryce Underwood dominating college football as a freshman. This makes Trevor Lawrence’s comparison seem exaggerated. Here's a look at some of the reactions online:

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RJ Young believes big money comes with huge expectations for Bryce Underwood

Bryce Underwood was lured to Michigan with a $12 million NIL deal reportedly financed by Oracle founder Larry Ellison. With this kind of big pay, RJ Young believes that comes with significant expectations for the quarterback, with a national championship the main goal.

“He would need to win the national championship in year one,” Young said (Timestamp: 4:34). "Only Trevor Lawrence and Jamel Holloway at Oklahoma in 1985 have done that in the last 40 years. Yeah. Guess which one of them got paid 12 million dollars to play quarterback? None of them!

“With the great money comes the great expectation. And I don't care what Michigan fans have to tell you about this, dog. If you watch that man go out there and go 8-5, you're going to want to know why Larry's money is being spent the way that Larry's money is being spent.”

It remains uncertain whether or not Underwood will be handed the starting role by Sherrone Moore in the fall. However, the expectations will remain sky-high for the QB over the next couple of years in his college career at Ann Arbor.