Michigan's staff spent real time chasing a second quarterback for the 2027 class. Friday night, they found out that their efforts had been in vain.

Arbor View High School's three-star quarterback Thaddeus Thatcher picked Oregon State over the Wolverines on Friday. PAC-12 Central first broke the news on X.

"ELITE 2027 QB Thaddeus Thatcher has COMMITTED to Oregon State. The four-star had offers from Michigan, UCF, and UNLV among others," the account posted on June 27.

What makes Thatcher's commitment to Oregon State surprising is that he initially seemed intent on wanting coach Kyle Whittingham's leadership.

According to a report by SB Nation site manager Von Lozon, Thatcher was originally committed to Utah when Whittingham was still coaching the Utes. When Whittingham left for Michigan in December 2025, the quarterback stepped back from his pledge.

Michigan QB coach Koy Detmer Jr. and offensive coordinator Jason Beck had stayed on him through the spring. Things seemed to be going well since Thatcher visited Ann Arbor in early April and picked up his offer that same day.

He even came back again for an official visit the weekend of June 19 during Victors Weekend.

The 6-foot-2 and 178-pound player has been Arbor View's starter since his freshman year. And after Thatcher took an official trip to Corvallis, too, and felt the path to playing time was clearer there.

So, despite his two Michigan visits and the long relationship with the staff, it seems Thatcher found the Oregon State Beavers and the prospect of playing in the Pac-12 Conference more suitable.

The Beavers had a rough 2-10 season and missed out on a bowl game completely. But pulling in a top quarterback who had big-time Big Ten offers is huge for them.

It is exactly the kind of win that Oregon State head coach JaMarcus Shephard needs to get this program heading in the right direction.

Michigan now faces a decision on its 2027 quarterback room

Thatcher's commitment to Oregon State leaves Michigan without a second quarterback in the 2027 class. The Wolverines already have four-star Kamden Lopati committed at the position, per Maize n Brew.

With Thatcher off the board, Michigan has to decide whether to push hard for another signal caller or ride with Lopati alone. Three-star Khylan Davis, currently committed to UTSA, is one name that has been on their radar.

Michigan can still add a quarterback later in the cycle, but losing a prospect they had this much of a relationship with is never easy to absorb.

Whether the Wolverines staff makes a serious move for Davis or pivots to other priorities heading into fall evaluations is the next chapter of this story.

Do you think Michigan needs to go after another quarterback, or is one enough in the 2027 class? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit