With spring visits on the horizon, recruiting is really about to pick up for the Michigan Wolverines. Visits continue to be mapped out, and that includes for Kyle Whittingham’s top quarterback target in the 2027 class.
Four-star QB to visit Michigan next month
Michigan’s top target at quarterback will soon pay his first visit to Ann Arbor. As first reported by Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong ($), 2027 four-star quarterback Kamden Lopati will take an unofficial visit to Michigan from April 3-5. He will also take visits this spring to Duke (March 6)
and Notre Dame (March 27-28) in addition to Illinois (April 10), the school he has been committed to since last July.
“The old Utah staff,” Lopati said of what he likes about Michigan. “Coach Whittingham, coach (Koy) Detmer and (Jason) Beck, have a great relationship with them.
“I think (Whittingham) showed it at Utah, the consistency he brings.”
The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder from Salt Lake City, Utah is ranked No. 9 at the quarterback position and No. 114 overall in the class on 247Sports’ composite. He had a great junior year where he completed 114-of-176 passes for 2,671 yards, 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran 90 times for 730 yards and 10 scores.
Michigan ‘definitely at the top’ for four-star Ohio native
Michigan extended an offer recently to 2027 four-star athlete Tristin Hughes, an Ohio native that was offered by safeties coach Tyler Stockton. After receiving the offer, he admitted the Wolverines are now the No. 1 team on his list.
“Definitely at the top,” Hughes told Rivals’ Wiltfong ($) where Michigan stands now.
“Michigan has a great reputation for being a great football school and also a great academic school making them stand out.”
A former Syracuse commit, Hughes backed off that pledge last month. He holds other offers from schools like Kentucky, Louisville, Purdue, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Arizona State, Virginia Tech, Pitt and more. He also said he’s been communicating with Clemson and Ohio State but has not been offered yet.
At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, the Rocky River, Ohio native is ranked No. 346 overall on the composite.
New OL target re-offered by new Michigan staff
When an old staff leaves and a new one comes in and still likes your game enough to offer you a scholarship, most recruits call that being “re-offered” by that particular school. That is what happened recently to 2027 three-star offensive lineman Lex Mailangi as it pertains to the Wolverines.
At 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds, Mailangi is a Santa Ana, California native and plays at high school powerhouse Mater Dei. After a recent conversation with new offensive line coach Jim Harding, he received all the clarity he needed on where things stood with Michigan.
“I was re-offered by the new offensive line coach, coach Harding,” Mailangi told The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich ($). “It was really just a blessing. I didn’t know if my offer still stood because of the coaching change and it was very much appreciated to know I’m still a priority for Michigan. I’m excited to get out and keep building this relationship.”
He is beginning to line up his spring and summer visit schedule; Mailangi already has an official visit planned for Oregon the weekend of June 19. He also has a ton of other really good offers from schools like Alabama, Texas Tech, Tennessee, USC, Washington, Ohio State and others, so it won’t be a surprise to see him venture out to many of those schools as well.
Mailangi was honest with Marich when he said he would like to visit Michigan soon, but “I’m unfortunately not sure if I will quite yet.” While that isn’t incredibly reassuring, it certainly isn’t the nail in the coffin just yet, as he did follow up by saying, “I’d say (Michigan stands) top 5-10 only because of the coaching change and starting to get to know the coaches.”
Quick Hitters
- According to Rivals’ Allen Trieu ($), 2027 four-star linebacker Roman Igwebuike will take a visit to Michigan on March 28, while three-star linebacker Blake Betton will visit Michigan on April 4.
- According to TMI’s Marich on social media, 2027 three-star linebacker Ethan Hauser will be taking an official visit to Michigan from June 19-21.
- Michigan recently offered 2028 four-star quarterback Carter Zingelmann.
