Bret Bielema and his Illinois program fumbled one of the biggest recruits of his tenure. After being recruited and committed for 9 months, one of the nation’s best young QBs, Kamden Lopati, decided to say deuce to Bielema and pledge his loyalty to the 2023 national champions.
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The No. 9 QB in the 2027 Rivals Industry Rankings had been a cornerstone of Bret Bielema’s 2027 class at Illinois since July 2025. However, on April 13, he reopened his recruitment after taking recent visits to Michigan, Notre Dame, and Duke. At one point, many assumed it would be Notre Dame who would win his pledge. But after a quick, multi-day visit to Ann Arbor in the first week of April, he decided to ditch everybody for the Wolverines.
The biggest reason for this “flip” is actually a personal one. Michigan’s new head coach, Kyle Whittingham, and his offensive coordinator previously coached at Utah, right in Lopati’s backyard. They had been recruiting him for at least two years before they even got to Michigan.
On the field, he is as good as any QB in this class. Last season alone, he threw for over 2,671 yards and 34 touchdowns, with a completion percentage that ranks among the best in his class. Not to mention, he ran for 730 yards and 10 touchdowns. ESPN has him as the second-best QB in the entire 2027 class. Looking back, this is the best scenario possible for Kyle Whittingham.
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They already have a superstar in Bryce Underwood. However, luckily, there’s no such thing as too much talent at quarterback in college football. Lopati gives them a ‘future-proof’ plan. By the time Underwood is ready for the NFL next year or the year after, Lopati will be seasoned enough to take the mantle from him.
This should push the Michigan Wolverines into the top 10 in the next few hours in the recruiting cycle. Lopati is the sixth commitment for Michigan’s 2027 class, which also includes four-star defensive end Recarder Kitchen and offensive tackle Sidney Rouleau.
As for Illinois and its coach, Bret Bielema, this one definitely hurts. Shortly after the news broke, Bielema took to social media to bottle his frustrations, subtly hinting that NIL opportunities may have influenced the sudden departure.
“Been hearing several million different things… anything specific?” the Illini head honcho tweeted right after he decommitted from his program.
Crazy how he highlighted ‘millions,’ but regardless, his frustration is valid. However, money has always been a factor in modern recruiting. But you can’t discredit Kyle Whittingham’s two years of recruiting here!
