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Ex-Michigan football QB Brandon Peters transferring to Illinois

Nick Baumgardner
Detroit Free Press
Oct. 28: Michigan's Brandon Peters got his first major action of his career against Rutgers. After a slow start from John O'Korn, Peters threw for 124 yards and a touchdown in the 35-14 win.

Brandon Peters will stay in the Big Ten and could see his former team as early as this season. 

Peters, a now former Michigan quarterback, announced his decision to take a graduate transfer to Illinois on Tuesday night via his Instagram page. 

The ex-Michigan signal caller entered the transfer portal a graduate prospect, with two years of eligibility remaining — beginning immediately — last month. Peters' new squad, Illinois, will host Michigan on Oct. 12. 

"I want to thank the University of Michigan for the opportunity to represent the winged helmet. The memories and friendships that I made along this journey will last a lifetime," Peters wrote. "I am excited to announce that I will be going to grad school and playing my last 2 years at the University of Illinois." 

Peters should compete for the starting job at Illinois next season, as the Illini had an unsettled quarterback situation a year ago and appear to be in the same boat entering 2019 after part-time starter M.J. Rivers announced his decision to transfer this spring. Rivers was the only returning quarterback on the roster with starting experience. 

Peters, who graduated from Michigan this spring, went through spring practice with the Wolverines this year before finding himself behind starter Shea Patterson and backups Dylan McCaffrey and Joe Milton on the team's depth chart. 

He entered the transfer portal in May, less than two years after it looked like he had a clear path to take over as Michigan's full-time starter toward the end of 2017. Peters, then a redshirt freshman, started three regular season games that year in place of a struggling John O'Korn (who replaced an injured Wilton Speight). He scored wins over Minnesota and Maryland before being knocked out of a loss at Wisconsin with a concussion. Peters missed a regular-season ending loss to Ohio State but returned to start the Outback Bowl vs. South Carolina. 

Before Peters took the field for that game, though, Michigan had already secured a commitment from Patterson — who transferred in and won immediate eligibility. Peters went 20 of 44 for 182 yards and two picks in the bowl game before losing out to Patterson the following fall. 

In six appearances in 2017, Peters threw for 672 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions with a 52.8 percent completion rate. 

A former 4-star prospect from Avon, Ind., Peters was Jim Harbaugh's first quarterback commit at Michigan (Alex Malzone committed to Brady Hoke) when he committed to the Wolverines on April 5, 2015. 

Contact Nick Baumgardner at nbaumgardn@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickbaumgardner. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter.