Michigan QB Bryce Underwood signs NIL deal with Beats by Dre

Bryce Underwood is still competing for Michigan football’s starting quarterback job, but the former No. 1 prospect is already one of college football’s more prominent athletes. 

On Tuesday morning, Beats by Dre announced its Beats Elite class of 2025 featuring the Wolverines’ freshman signal-caller among its nine members. The NIL partnership means Underwood “will be featured in national marketing campaigns and will receive custom Beats headphones” in Michigan’s iconic colors and emblazoned with the Block M.

“Throughout the year, Beats Elite athletes will be featured in national marketing campaigns and will receive custom Beats headphones featuring their universities’ iconic marks,” reads a press release from the company. “This unique integration of school branding into product design is made possible through a continued collaboration with Learfield, marking the second year of the award-winning partnership.” 

The nine-member 2025 class of Beats Elite includes: 

• Ryan Williams – Alabama, WR
• Caleb Downs – Ohio State, S
• Bryce Underwood – Michigan, QB 
• Nate Frazier – Georgia, RB
• Colin Simmons – Texas, LB
• Dante Moore – Oregon, QB 
• DJ Lagway – Florida, QB
• John Mateer – Oklahoma, QB
• LaNorris Sellers – South Carolina, QB

Michigan has featured prominently in the two prior Beats Elite campaigns. In 2023, J.J. McCarthy was part of the inaugural class ahead of what became a national championship-winning season for the Wolverines. 

“As we’ve worked with our initial college athletes, we’ve realized how important it is for them to have brand support at that level,” Aminah Charles, Beats’ head of sports marketing, said at the time. “The industry is moving toward truly empowering college athletes, so we wanted to take a bigger swing in this area.”

And in 2024, Beats inked a deal with cornerback Will Johnson before he finished his stellar college career with second-team All-American honors. Johnson then earned a second-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Underwood, of course, is much less proven than his Michigan predecessors when they signed with Beats. The true freshman, who turns 18 years old on Tuesday, was the No. 1 prospect in his recruiting class and is the Wolverines’ projected starter this fall, but he has yet to earn that title officially — much less take a collegiate snap. 

But given his background, his high-profile flip from LSU and the size of the Michigan fan base, it’s little surprise Beats has identified Underwood as a suitable brand ambassador. And they’re not alone: Underwood also appears on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26 Deluxe Edition. 

“Each Beats Elite class is carefully selected for leadership, character, and a commitment to excellence—both on and off the field,” the press release reads. “Previous classes have included athletes who went on to win top awards and headline professional drafts.”

Like the Beats Elite athletes before him, Underwood plans to gift pairs of the custom headphones to his U-M teammates. The Wolverines, with Bryce Underwood potentially behind center, begin the 2025 season against New Mexico on August 30.