College sports are fickle and unforgiving. Take Brandon Peters as the latest example.
In October 2017, Peters — then a redshirt freshman — replaced John O’Korn with Michigan struggling to put away Rutgers at home. He completed 10 of 14 passes, threw for a touchdown, looked like the future. He started four games that season and, for a brief moment, it seemed they would be the first of many.
But Saturday, 16 months removed from his last start and three people ahead of him on the depth chart, Peters will reportedly enter the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining, according to SEC Network’s Cole Cubelic.
After that promising start, the Wolverines’ offense faltered with Peters at the helm. After suffering an injury at Wisconsin that caused him to miss an eventual loss to Ohio State, Peters threw for just 186 yards with two interceptions against South Carolina in the Outback Bowl, a 26-19 loss in which Michigan couldn’t move the ball.
In between, Shea Patterson visited campus and, soon after, committed to play for Jim Harbaugh. Though it was still unclear whether Patterson would be able to play in his first year, Harbaugh was looking elsewhere.
A waiver allowing Patterson to play in 2018 was soon granted, and Michigan had its quarterback. Peters was on the outside looking in.
And, by the end of the season, Dylan McCaffrey and Joe Milton were fighting it out for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, with Peters relegated to a clear fourth.
Once hyperbolically declared the program’s savior, Peters threw all of two passes for eight yards.
And his next pass will come in a different uniform.