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Quarterbacks Michigan Football Could Target Following Peter Bourque De-Committing

Originally posted on Michigan Wolverines on SI
By Trent Knoop | Last updated Feb 18, 2026 5:06 PM ET

Once Kyle Whittingham took over, Michigan had four commitments in its 2027 recruiting class. Four-star QB Peter Bourque was the headliner of the class, and it appeared, at first, that Bourque was going to stay strongly committed to the Wolverines.

But on Tuesday, he had a change of heart and de-committed from Michigan. The Marion (MA) prospect is going to be a hot commodity on the open market. Bourque is ranked as the No. 86 prospect and No. 6 QB, per the Composite.

Now, Michigan is left without a QB in its 2027 cycle, but there are a few players out there that the Wolverines will likely target.

Kamden Lopati

The Wolverines quickly offered the Illinois commit following Bourque's de-commitment on Tuesday night. But it wasn't the first contact Michigan had made with the four-star signal caller.

Both OC Jason Beck and QB coach Koy Detmer Jr. already made a statement by going back to Utah to visit Lopati — while Bourque was still committed in the class.

After a great talk with @Coach_Beck7 and @COACHKDJR I am grateful to be offered an opportunity to play for @UMichFootball #GOBLUE @coachsolovi @westpanthersfb @On3 @PeteThamel @Hayesfawcett3 @_willcompton @Rivals @SWiltfong_ @GregBiggins @BrandonHuffman @BlairAngulo @adamgorney pic.twitter.com/EaQ1svruK5
— Kamden Lopati (@CowboyKamden) February 18, 2026

“Coach Beck and coach Detmer from Michigan came by for a home visit today,”Lopati told Rivals. “I have a good relationship with both coach Beck and coach Detmer from when they were at Utah so it was great to connect with them again.

“It was weird seeing them in the Blue shirts for sure but coach Beck and coach Detmer have had very successful offenses that they’ve been with and I think it’s gonna be exciting to see how it looks with the players they have now and the ones coming into the Michigan program.”

Lopati is ranked as the No. 149 player and No. 12 QB in the nation, per the Composite. He is from Salt Lake City (UT) and it wouldn't be shocking to see Michigan really ramp up the efforts of recruiting the Illinois commit.

Dane Weber

Another player whose recruitment has really picked up in recent weeks. Weber has continued to shine in the offseason, and the Temecula (CA) prospect has been getting plenty of offers. There has been smoke surrounding Michigan's interest in Weber and now that the Wolverines need a QB — this will likely continue to pick up.

The 6'2", 210-pound signal caller is currently ranked as the No. 360 player and No. 24 QB in the 2027 class, per the Composite. Weber, a four-star prospect, is uncommitted, but has seen Kansas a couple of times and USC is strongly recruiting him.

I believe Lopati would be Michigan's top target right now, but expect to hear Weber's name.

Thaddeus Thatcher

The Las Vegas prospect was initially committed to Utah under Kyle Whittingham and Jason Beck. But once the duo left for Michigan, Thatcher de-committed from the Utes.

Thatcher is a three-star QB, the nation's No. 721 player and No. 48 QB, per the Composite. But Thatcher told Michigan Wolverines on SI, that he had 'a lot' of interest in Michigan once he de-committed from the Wolverines.

Michigan's staff did get out there to see Thatcher and his brother, Damani Warren. It's not clear if Michigan would make Thatcher its priority, but if the Wolverines would like to take two QBs in this class, he could be one of them.

Other options

Making Bourque feel like a priority and continuing to recruit him is a strong option on the table. The staff was recruiting Bourque, but he felt like he wanted to explore all of his options and staying committed to the Wolverines while visiting other schools wasn't the right thing to do. Bourque is as good of a prospect as any of them out there and getting him back in the fold could be Plan A.

How about looking back at the 2026 class and circling back to five-star Ryder Lyons? The BYU commit was strongly considering Michigan but opted to choose the Cougars. Lyons is on a mission trip and will be out of school for one season. A lot could change in that one year and Michigan could make a play there.