Kyle Whittingham is the new head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, and recruiting will be crucial for him in the early stages of his tenure. Some people are concerned about his lack of midwest ties and how that might impact his recruiting, so it will be interesting to see how he performs in that realm.<\/p>\n
But so far, there are some good early returns from guys on the recruiting trail, including a quarterback already committed to a Big Ten program.<\/p>\n
Michigan has eyes on Illinois QB commit<\/p>\n
One recruit who Kyle Whittingham is expected to target is already committed to a Big Ten school \u2014 2027 four-star quarterback Kamden Lopati<\/a>, who committed to Illinois back in July. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder ranks No. 150 overall in the class and had a good junior season, throwing for 2,671 yards while completing 64.8 percent of his passes.<\/p>\n Despite his commitment to the Illini, Lopati did admit the Whittingham hire is intriguing. It will be hard for any school to flip his commitment, but there is a chance he shows some interest in the Wolverines.<\/p>\n \u201cI would be because of coach Whittingham,\u201d he told On3\u2019s Ethan McDowell ($)<\/a>.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a reason why Michigan fans are so excited about this hire, and Lopati sees all the positives.<\/p>\n \u201cHis passion for the game of football, plays the game the right way and his genuine love for his players,\u201d Lopati said.<\/p>\n Michigan already has a quarterback committed in the 2027 class in four-star Peter Bourque, but it\u2019s clear that Whittingham is going to go after his guys. That doesn\u2019t mean Bourque is completely out of the picture, but guys like Lopati may be prioritized.<\/p>\n Michigan a top option for four-star RB<\/p>\n Another player to watch in the 2027 class is four-star running back Tranard Roberts<\/a>. Right now, three schools are standing above the rest for Roberts \u2014 Michigan, Ohio State and Auburn.<\/p>\n \u201cCoach Tony Alford, he produces,\u201d Roberts told On3\u2019s Marcus Benjamin ($)<\/a>. \u201cHe has the most draft picks of any running backs coach in college football. He doesn\u2019t make the player, but he improves the player.\u201d<\/p>\n Running backs know they are going to be used often at Michigan, and that is a big reason why the Wolverines recruit the position so well.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to run that ball,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cI want to get on the field early. Michigan told me if you\u2019re a dog, they are going to play you.\u201d<\/p>\n Roberts is a Florida native and ranked No. 209 overall on the 247Sports composite.<\/p>\n Midwest WRs crucial for Michigan in 2027 class<\/p>\n Michigan has struggled historically recruiting wide receivers, but the new coaching staff is looking to bring in good talent and taking advantage of local players.<\/p>\n Two of those players are 2027 four-star wideouts Quintin Burrell<\/a> and Dakota Guerrant<\/a>. Both are top-50 overall prospects in the class and have been longtime targets for the Wolverines. By the sounds of it, Michigan\u2019s new staff is going to continue making those two guys priorities under new head coach Kyle Whittingham and wide receivers coach Micah Simon.<\/p>\n