Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittigham has hit the ground running when it comes to the 2027 recruiting class.
Even though Whittingham was hired late in the hiring cycle, after Michigan fired Sherrone Moore, the new staff has put together a really solid class, one that features a total of 16 commitments, with 12 of them ranking as blue-chip commitments, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings.
One of those 12 blue-chip commitments is Kamden Lopati, a four-star quarterback, who is from Utah. Whittingham, Jason Beck, and others on the current Michigan staff had a relationship with Lopati from recruiting him before.
Lopati, who is ranked No. 132 overall, via the Rivals Industry Rankings, is a 6-foot-2, 225-pound quarterback out of West Valley, Utah. The Elite 11 quarterback was committed to Illinois before he flipped his commitment to the Wolverines.
Bret Bielema is still upset about 4-star QB flipping to Michigan
Bret Bielema wasn't happy about it then. He still isn't happy about it now. Months after the flip happened, it was referenced on "Pardon My Take."
#Illinois HC Bret Bielema still pissed at #Michigan and Kyle Whittingham after they flipped QB Kamden Lopati https://t.co/EhjYW1R14O
— Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) June 12, 2026
Big Cat talked about how he was trying to get NIL money to Wisconsin. Bielema, who is a former head coach of the Badgers, joked that Big Cat's money would be good at Illinois. Then, Bielema brought up Dave Portnoy, hinting that he was part of the flip of Lopati.
"A certain barstool employee took one of my guys," Bielema said.
It's hard to blame Bielema for being upset. Lopati is a talented dual-threat quarteback. That's why Beck made a strong push for him. He will be the perfect quarterback to develop for the future.
Bryce Underwood has three years of eligibility left. Tommy Carr looked really strong this spring, so the quarterback position in Ann Arbor will be well-stocked. Bielema is trying to do the same thing in Illinois.
The Fighting Illini have won at least nine games in the past two seasons, so the program is on the rise. However, it doesn't seem to have the financial resources Michigan does. That's one thing that attracted Kyle Whittingham to the job.
Michigan is a place where you can win national championships. The Wolverines have won two since 1997. They don't even have as much money, it seems, as teams like Oregon or Ohio State, but Michigan has been smart with its money.
Part of that, at least in the 2027 class, was investing in Lopati. Bielema might not like it, but that's the way in the world of college football recruiting.
Add us as a preferred source on Google