Underwood was the crown jewel of LSU’s 2025 high-school recruiting class. His defection is the most recent hit to Kelly during the last brutal month.
The Tigers have misplaced three video games in a row by a median of 18.3 factors per recreation after peaking at No. 8 within the Related Press ballot, starting with an Oct. 26 loss to Texas A&M, 38-23.
Additionally they misplaced by 29 factors to Alabama, 42-13, their worst loss within the sequence since a 55-17 defeat in 2020.
Final Saturday, LSU misplaced on the highway to Florida, 27-16. It was the Gators’ first double-digit win within the rivalry since 2009.
LSU started the season with hopes of creating the Faculty Soccer Playoff. As a substitute, it is going to be taking part in in a low-level bowl recreation.
In ESPN’s most recent bowl projections, Kyle Bonagura predicts LSU will play Minnesota within the Music Metropolis Bowl, whereas Mark Schlabach expects a Texas Bowl look towards Baylor.
The Tigers nonetheless have a deep, spectacular incoming recruiting class with 24 commits, together with five-star athlete DJ Pickens and 19 four-star recruits, led by the nation’s prime operating again, Harlem Berry, in response to 247Sports.
However dropping Underwood, who just lately posted to social media about rebuffing a reported $10.5 million Michigan identify, picture, and likeness (NIL) supply, is a major blow for Kelly. He is run out of any goodwill he collected from his first two seasons when he led LSU to the SEC championship recreation and coached quarterback Jayden Daniels to the 2023 Heisman.
Whereas the monetary part finally might have factored into Underwood’s resolution, Kelly’s sideline outbursts and emotional, table-slamming postgame news conferences may even have influenced it.
When hiring Kelly on a 10-year, $95 million contract in November 2021, LSU athletic director Scott Woodward praised the previous Notre Dame head coach’s “consistency” whereas noting Kelly “shares our values and visions for elevating our college and our state.”
Kelly was brought in to stabilize a program that went 11-12 within the two seasons following its 2019 nationwide championship below former head coach Ed Orgeron.
As a substitute, in 12 months 3 below Kelly, LSU stands on shaky floor.
