Michigan landed its third four-star player in the 2027 recruiting class on Tuesday when West Valley City (Utah) West quarterback Kamden Lopati announced his commitment. The former Illinois pledge re-opened his recruitment on Monday before joining the Wolverines a little more than 24 hours later.
Now that U-M has its signal-caller for this cycle, what type of impact will this have? Maize n Brew takes a deep dive on three effects of Lopati’s commitment.
Recruiting ties out West still strong
This one seems obvious, considering Lopati’s and
most of the Michigan staff’s background. There wasn’t a doubt that key connections would remain for the coaches once they departed Utah and arrived at Michigan, but an appropriate question that could have been brought up earlier in the offseason was whether West Coast prospects would hesitate on leaving the region for the Big Ten powerhouse? Heading into the spring game Saturday, that query was quelled because of Lopati.
The storyline in which Michigan flipping him from Illinois began in January when he was visited by offensive coordinator Jason Beck and quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. at his school. Keep in mind Michigan already had a quarterback commit at the time in 2027 in four-star Peter Borque, who ended up decommitting, which opened up a window for Lopati.
Lopati ended up staying multiple days in Ann Arbor last week, leading to the drastic shift in his recruitment. Now, he becomes the second 2027 prospect from the western region — alongside three-star Las Vegas safety Maxwell Miles — to commit to Michigan.
The Wolverines aren’t done with that section of the country either, as the amount of talent still uncommitted is untapped heading into the contact period and official visit slate. Names like Top 100 defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou from California and Utah’s Top 100 athlete Bode Sparrow have not only visited Michigan at least once, but are strongly considering the Maize and Blue.
Lopati’s future presence as a vocal peer leader when adding more pieces to the class will be vital for Michigan, especially for those nearby him. Sharing deep dives on topics like Michigan’s culture, camaraderie and development successes sometimes holds greater meaning from a peer perspective. That role is suited for Lopati.
Foot on the gas for Dakota Guerrant
Lopati will need a wide receiver to throw to, and there are a litany of options in 2027 that Michigan wide receivers coach Micah Simon is targeting. It’s tough to argue though the No. 1 option remains Dakota Guerrant out of Harper Woods.
Going back to Lopati being a staunch contributing recruiter for the class, he will get the chance to build bonds with several receivers who have visited this offseason or will before the summer dead period. That includes Guerrant, who’s taking his official on June 19 during Victor’s Weekend. He has been a priority for Michigan ever since he started high school, and now that the pivotal moment in his recruitment is coming up fast, the Wolverines have an asset in Lopati in order to do everything possible to keep him home. Lopati is also planning on officially visiting Michigan on Victor’s Weekend, so those three days will be crucial.
One other in-state pass catcher is taking an official that same time in Belleville High’s Tre Britton, who’s been turning plenty of heads in his 7v7 performances on a national stage. Oregon is pulling out all the stops in landing Guerrant, but to add to what the Michigan staff has already done to have a relationship with Guerrant, another piece to the puzzle is Lopati.
Other sought-after wide receivers Lopati will likely press for include four-star Damani Warren out of Las Vegas, four-star Quentin Burrell from Chicago — whose sister is on the Michigan women’s soccer team — three-star former Georgia commit Gavin Honroe, and four-star Alabama native Deshawn Hall, who has family ties in Flint.
Two QB class this cycle?
This has been a discussion topic on Maize n Brew over the past few days after the surge by Michigan for Lopati and a recent offer extended to 2027 three-star Las Vegas quarterback Thaddeus Thatcher. Lopati was 1-of-2 priority quarterbacks on Michigan’s board in this class before Thatcher traveled to campus last weekend.
Thatcher is very familiar with head coach Kyle Whittingham and his assistants, as Thatcher was a Utah commit at one point before exploring other options in January, soon after Whittingham took the Michigan job. There are plans for Thatcher to schedule an official visit.
The idea of the Wolverines signing two quarterbacks in the class isn’t a daunting one. When examining their quarterback room after the 2027 season, Bryce Underwood will have an opportunity at being an early-round NFL Draft pick, and the depth behind him will have furthered their development for a deserving shot at playing time. Tommy Carr, Brady Smigiel, Lopati, possibly Thatcher if the team continues to push for him, and any transfer portal additions would create a high-profile battle for the starting role.
