Michigan's Brandon Peters (concussion) to begin bowl prep as No. 1 QB

Brandon Peters has cleared concussion protocol and he'll start Michigan football's Outback Bowl prep as the team's starting quarterback.

U-M coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters Sunday night that Peters was back on the practice field last week and will get the starting quarterback reps when the Wolverines open up full-team postseason practice Monday in Ann Arbor.

The Wolverines (8-4) will play South Carolina (8-4) in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1 in Tampa, Fla.

"We'll start practice with Brandon as the No. 1 quarterback," Harbaugh said.

Peters, a redshirt freshman, took over as Michigan's first-string quarterback midway through a win over Rutgers on Oct. 28.

He started during wins over Minnesota and Maryland before being forced to leave Michigan's loss at Wisconsin on Nov. 18 after a hit knocked him out on the field.

More: Get to know South Carolina Gamecocks, Michigan's Outback Bowl opponent

Peters spent the entire week leading into Michigan's rivalry game against Ohio State in concussion protocol and was never cleared. U-M started fifth-year senior John O'Korn in the loss to the Buckeyes, as Peters and now former quarterback Wilton Speight were both injured.

With Speight exiting the program via graduate transfer, Michigan will have four scholarship quarterbacks available at the Outback Bowl: Peters, O'Korn, redshirt sophomore Alex Malzone and true freshman Dylan McCaffrey.

Malzone is also taking a graduate transfer after the season, but told the Free Press he plans to remain with the team through the bowl game. McCaffrey, meanwhile, is currently redshirting.

Peters is 37 of 64 for 486 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions this season.

Peters was Michigan's third starting quarterback this season, as Speight was lost for the year during Week 4 with a vertebrae injury and O'Korn was lifted due to performance against Rutgers.

"Ideally, we want to win our next two games and then go into the offseason with an established quarterback," Michigan passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton said two weeks ago, prior to a loss against Ohio State. "(Then) we can build around that quarterback and get Tarik Black back on the field, get Donovan Peoples-Jones in great shape and ready to go and develop some of that timing and continuity."

Elsewhere, Harbaugh said Black, a true freshman receiver, should be healthy enough to practice during bowl prep but he won't likely play in the game.

Black has missed Michigan's last nine games with a broken bone in his foot. And while he's "probably" healthy enough to play now, Harbaugh says he would like to preserve his medical redshirt.

Contact Nick Baumgardner: nbaumgardn@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickBaumgardner. Download our Wolverines Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!