There’s no time for Michigan to wait when it comes to the future of the quarterback position after watching 5-star quarterback and the nation’s No. 1 recruit, Bryce Underwood, stumble and bumble his way through his 1st season as the starter in 2025.
According to several reports, that future could be with a player who already has a connection to the new Michigan coaching staff, with 6-foot-3, 225-pound Salt Lake City West High School quarterback Kamden Lopati.
The buzz started when Rivals.com recruiting guru Steve Wiltfong predicted Lopati will flip his commitment from 1 Big Ten school to another by turning his back on Illinois to play for the Wolverines and new head coach Kyle Whittingham, who spent the previous 2 decades — longer than Lopati’s even been alive — as the head coach at the University of Utah.
Kamden Lopati Lit Up Competition in 2025
Lopati is a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2027 and threw for 2,671 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions as a junior in 2025 to go with 730 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns while leading West to an 11-2 record and the Class 5A state semifinals.
From Maize and Brew: “The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder from Salt Lake City, Utah has been committed to Illinois since last summer, but that hasn’t stopped Kyle Whittingham, Jason Beck and Koy Detmer Jr. from pursuing him whatsoever. In fact, it hasn’t stopped a lot of schools, as Notre Dame, Cal and Duke have all hosted him this spring as well.”
Michigan had a commitment from another 2027 quarterback in Tabor (Massachusetts) Academy’s Peter Bourque, who backed out after Whittingham and his staff were hired.
“Savvy dual-threat quarterback that excels as a vertical passer and a power runner in a spread attack,” 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins wrote about Lopati. “Built almost like a linebacker and measured just under 6-foot-3, 225 pounds in advance of senior year … dangerous on the scramble and is the type of number that defenses have to account for in the RPO game with his vision and creativity. Projects as a potential Power Four starter that can thrive in a system that wants to capitalize on his mobility.”
Bryce Underwood’s Struggles as Freshman in 2025
Underwood was at the center of a fierce recruiting battle that saw him pulled away from an original commitment to LSU with an NIL deal worth up to a reported $12.5 million over 4 years at Michigan.
While Underwood’s struggles as a freshman were pronounced, it might be more of a result of the dumpster fire that was happening behind the scenes with the coaching staff. Head coach Sherrone Moore was fired ahead of a loss to Texas in the Citrus Bowl after his school discovered he was having a years-long affair with a football staffer.
The same day Moore was fired, he was arrested on charges of felony home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering after an incident at the home of the woman he was having an affair with.
As a freshman, the 6-foot-4, 228-pound Underwood went 9-4 while throwing for 2,428 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions, but barely completed over 60 percent of his passes. He also ran for 392 yards and 6 touchdowns.
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