After a turbulent offseason, Kyle Whittingham’s new-look Michigan staff is already landing major counterpunches on the recruiting trail. The Wolverines are now gaining on 2027 4-star QB Dane Weber. All due to the relationships the staff built at their former program.

Weber will be visiting Michigan from March 23 to 25. The news comes after the QB included the Wolverines in his top 8. Whittingham and Co. also made things official by extending an offer to him on February 21. Michigan has a long road to lure Weber out of California and bring him to Ann Arbor. However, the fans have reasons to be optimistic about the situation.

A big factor behind Weber’s positive outlook on Michigan is the presence of new offensive coordinator Jason Beck and QBs coach Koy Detmer Jr. These two have been recruiting Weber since they were at Utah. More importantly, they were actually the first Div-I program to make him an offer. Naturally, Weber has grown to prize this relationship.

“I’m very high on Michigan,” Weber told Rivals’ Adam Gorney. “Them believing in me means a lot to me. Can’t wait to get on a visit.”

“I want to see how they adapt their styles to the new team and the new quarterbacks, and also how the facilities are, even just the area around, because I’ve never been there, so I kind of want to get a feel for what it’s like,” he told On3’s Ethan Dowdell.

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Though Weber falls below the Top 20 QBs in the 2027 recruiting cycle, he is an absolute phenom. He finished his Junior year with 3,465 yards and 41 TDs, and an additional 688 rushing yards and 14 scores. He was also named MVP by On3 in the Elite 11 South California regional. Michigan cannot afford to lose Weber’s interest in Ann Arbor.

Weber is a priority for Michigan now because they are without a QB in the 2027 class since Peter Bourque decommitted. Weber might have to be on the bench for a while when he gets here. But he will definitely be getting some reps in the 2027 season if he signs with Michigan. By 2028, Weber can aim for a shot at the starting role, as Underwood will be draft-eligible.

But before that, Kyle Whittingham has to beat out various schools like Stanford, Oregon, and even Kansas and Kansas State. However, the Wolverines will have to fight particularly strongly to get the USC Trojans out of the mix.

Dane Weber might want to stay home if USC offers

Weber’s inclusion of UCLA and Cal in his top schools suggests a desire to stay in California. The only reason USC is not in his top eight is that Lincoln Riley hasn’t extended an offer to Weber as of now. The Trojans are a little farther away from Weber in terms of distance, but nobody does recruitment in California better than them.

Around 57% of USC’s 2026 freshmen are from California. 3 of the 4 2027 program commitments are local. Should USC offer Weber, they will formally become Michigan’s key competitor. One more advantage that Riley has over Whittingham is that he can offer the QB a bigger opportunity on the roster.

Jayden Maiava will be heading for the draft in 2027, which means the QB1 race will be wide open here. Weber will have to beat Jonas Williams, who will also compete for the role. Williams is the expected starter after Maiava graduates, but the Temecula QB won’t make it easy for him in spring camp.

At Michigan, Underwood can technically still play in 2028, which will be his last season in college football. Weber told Rivals that playing early is a big deal for him. It’s why he’s also included California in his top 8.

Recruits are looking at Michigan with a little scrutiny of late, given all the troubles that the program dealt with last year. But some are still interested in the Maize and Blue. To land a talent like Weber, Michigan’s staff must prove their new home is a better fit than the familiar West Coast powerhouses vying for his attention.