MSU Extends Offer to 2027 Illinois Quarterback Commit
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While Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald and his staff are looking to upgrade nearly every position in the 2027 recruiting cycle, landing a talented quarterback is one of the Spartans’ top priorities.
Over the past few months, Michigan State has extended offers to several 2027 quarterbacks, most recently targeting a four-star signal-caller who is currently committed to Illinois.
Spartans Targeting 4-Star Illinois Quarterback Commit
On Feb. 16, Michigan State extended an offer to Kamden Lopati, a four-star quarterback at West High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. He announced the offer on X, noting that it came after a conversation with Fitzgerald.
Grateful for the conversation with @coachfitz51 and the offer to play for @MSU_Football. #SpartansWill @coachsolovi @westpanthersfb @BrandonHuffman @BlairAngulo @GregBiggins @SWiltfong_ @adamgorney @ChadSimmons_ @on3 @TheUCReport @Rivals @247recruiting @247Sports pic.twitter.com/3MD0yh8ore
— Kamden Lopati (@CowboyKamden) February 16, 2026
- "Grateful for the conversation with [Coach Fitzgerald] and the offer to play for [Michigan State Football]," Lopati wrote.
While the Spartans just offered Lopati, they have been pursuing him for nearly a month. At the end of January, former Michigan State offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian traveled to Utah to visit the young quarterback at West.
Lopati is a talented quarterback prospect who has been committed to Illinois since July 2025. While he remains loyal to the Fighting Illini, several programs have continued to pursue him. Michigan State is the fourth school to extend him an offer in the past week, joining Florida, Michigan, and Notre Dame.
The 6’3”, 215-pound quarterback is coming off a strong junior season at West, where, according to MaxPreps, he threw for 2,671 yards, 34 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, while adding 730 yards and 10 scores on the ground.
Quarterback is a significant need for the Spartans in the 2027 cycle, and Lopati would be an excellent addition to Michigan State’s class. Rivals’ industry rankings list him as the No. 116 overall player nationally, the No. 11 quarterback, and the No. 2 prospect in Utah.
It will be interesting to see how Lopati’s recruitment unfolds, as there is a real chance he will remain committed to Illinois despite the new interest he’s received. Still, in today’s college football landscape, no commitment is ever safe until the dotted line is signed, leaving the door open for programs to flip the four-star quarterback.
Although Lopati hasn’t officially scheduled any spring visits, it wouldn’t be surprising if he visited some of the new programs that are pursuing him. As his recruitment gains momentum, Fitzgerald and his staff should work to get him to campus in East Lansing as soon as possible.
As of now, the odds are stacked against Michigan State in Lopati’s recruitment. However, if the Spartans can continue to strengthen their relationship with him over the coming months, they could be in a position to flip one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 class.
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Max Dorsey serves as the Western United States College Recruiting Beat Writer On SI. He graduated from the prestigious Syracuse University – S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Before that, he worked for the Pro Football Network and was part of the recruiting department for Syracuse University's football program.