News: 4-Star 2027 QB Kamden Lopati Decommits From Illinois

According to several outlets, including Hayes Fawcett of On3 and Rivals, 4-star 2027 quarterback Kamden Lopati has decommitted from his verbal pledge to Illinois and will reopen his recruitment.

Kamden Lopati was the Fighting Illini’s first addition in the class of 2027. The Salt Lake City, Utah, native had given a verbal pledge to Bret Bielema and staff back in late July. This is a major loss for Illinois as Lopati is a seriously talented prospect. Lopati’s recruitment had clearly shifted in recent weeks, as national powers like Michigan and Notre Dame have both made strong impressions and become more heavily involved as of late. That surge ultimately proved difficult to hold off, especially this early in the cycle.

Bret Bielema commented on the reported pursuits of Lopati by Michigan and Notre Dame: “We were in a specific battle the other day where five of my last six quarterbacks have made NFL rosters and are still playing, and we’re in competition with the school that one coach has been there 20 years, never had a kid drafted. Another one, a new coach, but he’s had one in four years.

BREAKING: Four-Star QB Kamden Lopati has Decommitted from Illinois, he tells me for @Rivals

The 6’3 228 QB from West Valley City, UT had been Committed to the Fighting Illini since July

He’s ranked as the No. 9 QB in the 2027 Rivals Industry Rankingshttps://t.co/9IZc35JveX pic.twitter.com/MPm1VrLsrb

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 13, 2026

What The Loss of 4-Star QB Kamden Lopati Means for the Illinois Class of 2027

For Illinois, it means losing a building block in the 2027 class, and a guy with the arm talent and mobility to potentially develop into a really good quarterback in the Power Five.

That said, Illinois will recover. The program has built a strong track record under Bret Bielema and Barry Lunney Jr of plugging in proven production through the portal (Tommy DeVito and Luke Altmyer), and that option is always on the table moving forward. In the meantime, QB coach Art Sitkowski will continue to develop younger options like Carson Boyd and Michael Clayton II to compete for the role next year, once Katin Houser has completed his lone season in Champaign.

The decommitment drops Illinois down to No. 73 nationally in 2027 rankings, according to 247Sports, with Evanston (IL) native Justin Johnson currently standing as the Illini’s lone commit in the class. Of course, it’s still extremely early. Given the Illini staff’s strong relationship with several high-level talents in the class, I’d expect them to rebound with some strong additions as the 2027 cycle continues.