Bret Bielema, Illinois Lose Nation’s No. 9 QB Recruit Amid College Football Offseason

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hunter Hodies | Last updated Apr 13, 2026 5:27 PM ET

Illinois has lost one of the top recruits in the 2027 recruiting class.

According to On3/Rivals' Hayes Fawcett, four-star quarterback Kamden Lopati has reopened his recruitment to other schools. Lopati had been committed to Illinois since July, but changed that on Monday.

Lopati is the ninth-best quarterback recruit in the 2027 Rivals Industry rankings. Lopati is also the second-best recruit in his home state (Utah), and the ninth-best quarterback recruit in the nation, pe r 247Sports Composite rankings.

Lopati has plenty of time to decide on a new school to commit to for the next few years. He'll get to hear pitches from those schools before making a decision.

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

This is a major loss for Illinois, which had hoped to keep Lopati's commitment until signing day. The program will have to go back to the drawing board, as it has only one recruit in its 2027 class.

The 2026 college football season will be Bret Bielema's sixth as the program's head coach. He helped the Fighting Illini finish the 2025 season with a 9-4 record, which included a win in the Music City Bowl. It came one year after he led the program to a 10-3 finish, which included a win in the Citrus Bowl.

Bielema has amassed a 37-26 overall record since taking over the program ahead of the 2021 season. He has also coached at Arkansas for five seasons and at Wisconsin for seven seasons.

In 17 seasons as a head coach, Bielema has compiled a 134-84 overall record.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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