Dave Portnoy courts Ohio State commit as Michigan booster Ellison named richest person

Oracle founder Larry Ellison became a name of note in the recruiting space last cycle as he helped Michigan flip Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Bryce Underwood from LSU. This week, Ellison surpassed Elon Musk for the title of richest person in the world, according to Bloomberg.

Underwood, the consensus No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 cycle, was committed to LSU for over 10 months before flipping to the Wolverines and signing with the Big Ten program. The Wolverines-focused NIL collective, Champions Circle, credited the Oracle founder and his wife Jolin – a Michigan alumna whom he married in 2023 – for being “instrumental in making this happen.”

Underwood’s NIL package will pay between $10 and $12 million over four years, and On3’s Pete Nakos reported he is set to earn $3 million as a freshman in 2025. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy also acknowledged the role Ellison played and said the two had a conversation about the importance of landing Underwood. He added that when Ellison “zeroes in on somebody, it’s a done deal.”

“We jumped on that call, and we talked and pitched Bryce,” Portnoy said in November 2024. “And I said, ‘Listen, Barstool and the marketing. But more importantly Larry Ellison and Jolin – nobody can match this. This guy is a legend.’ And we pitched and we pitched.”

Underwood immediately took the starting job in Ann Arbor and is now amidst his true freshman campaign. With Ellison back in the news, Portnoy turned his attention to one of the top prospects in the 2026 cycle: Ohio State five-star wide receiver commit Chris Henry Jr.

“Oh hey (Henry) see anything you like?,” Portnoy wrote on X, tagging Henry with a photo of Oracle’s stock chart.

Oh hey @ChrisHenryJr See anything you like? $orcl pic.twitter.com/wRwnjk7Wv0

— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) September 10, 2025

Henry Jr., the son of the late former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry, has been committed to the Buckeyes since July 28, 2023. Playing his high school football at California powerhouse Mater Dei, the 6-foot-5, 205-pounder told Rivals in April that his recruitment was “shut down,” as Oregon, USC and Miami were trying to get him on campus in the summer.

While Michigan hasn’t been publicly mentioned as a program working to flip Henry, Portnoy would love to help court another five-star to Ann Arbor — and of course get another one over on Ohio State. The Wolverines currently have two five-stars in their 2026 class in running back Savion Hiter and EDGE Carter Meadows.

More on Larry Ellison

Ellison saw his net worth grow by $101 billion Wednesday morning after Oracle’s quarterly report surpassed expectations. His fortune is now at $393 billion, which moves him past Musk – who has a $385 million net worth, according to Bloomberg.

SUBSCRIBE to the On3 NIL and Sports Business Newsletter

Oracle’s shares increased by 41% on Wednesday after a huge increase in bookings, and that increase came after a 45% gain this year prior to Tuesday’s close. It marked the company’s largest surge ever in a single day.

Ellison attended both the University of Illinois and University of Chicago before starting his career as a computer programmer and later co-founding Oracle in 1977. He served as the company’s CEO until 2014 and is currently the company’s chief technology officer and executive chairman. He became the second-richest person in the world in July, moving past Mark Zuckerberg in Bloomberg’s previous update.

On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this story.