MSU Staff Visits 2027 Illinois Quarterback Commit
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New Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald and his staff have had a very busy month as the Spartans have hit the high school recruiting trail hard, extending offers to and making progress with some of the top prospects in the 2027 class.
While Fitzgerald and company have primarily been targeting uncommitted 2027 prospects, the Spartans are pursuing a few recruits who have already found homes, including a four-star Illinois quarterback commit whom Michigan State offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian recently traveled to Utah to speak with.
Mike Bajakian Visits 4-Star Illinois Quarterback Commit
On Jan. 31, Bajakian traveled west to visit Kamden Lopati, a four-star Illinois quarterback commit from West High School in West Valley City, Utah. Lopati posted a photo of himself with Bajakian on X, writing, “Grateful for the visit by coach [Mike Bajakian] with [Michigan State Football].”
Grateful for the visit by coach @MSUCoachJake with @MSU_Football. #SPARTANSWILL @FBCoachSheridan @coachsolovi @westpanthersfb @TheUCReport @adamgorney @BrandonHuffman @SWiltfong_ @BlairAngulo @GregBiggins @TomLoy247 @Rivals @On3 @247recruiting @247Sports pic.twitter.com/SOVTafpqde
— Kamden Lopati (@CowboyKamden) January 31, 2026
After being pursued by several Power Four programs throughout last spring and summer, Lopati committed to Illinois in July. While the Spartans still haven’t officially extended an offer to him, it’s clear the new Michigan State staff is interested in pursuing the four-star quarterback.
Lopati is among the top overall prospects in the country and is coming off an impressive 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.
Despite his commitment to Illinois, several programs are still actively pursuing Lopati. Along with Bajakian, coaches from Michigan, Duke, Cal, and Notre Dame have visited him this week.
While many schools remain interested in Lopati, Rivals’ Adam Gorney recently reported that he’s happily committed to Illinois and plans to stick with his initial decision. Still, in today’s college football landscape, commitments are never safe, so the Spartans should continue pursuing him until he signs the dotted line with the Fighting Illini.
Lopati would be a massive addition to the Spartans’ 2027 class, as the program is in desperate need of a long-term solution at quarterback. Rivals’ industry rankings list the Illinois commit as the No. 142 overall player in the country, the No. 11 signal-caller, and the No. 3 prospect from Utah.
If Fitzgerald and his staff can continue to make progress with Lopati in the coming weeks and get him out to East Lansing at some point this offseason for a visit, the Spartans should be able to at least put themselves in a position to potentially flip one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 cycle.
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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.