The class of 2027 recruiting is now in full force, with signing day earlier this month for the 2026 class. Tennessee just lost quarterback Jake Merklinger to the transfer portal, so the Vols must add a quality 2027 signal-caller to develop in the system.
As Tennessee prepares for the Music City Bowl versus Illinois in a couple of weeks, it seems that the two schools are preparing for a battle off the field, too.
On3's Greg Biggins reported that Tennessee is working very hard to flip 2027 quarterback Kamden Lopati, who is currently committed to Bret Bielma and Illinois. Lopati said, "With Tennessee being in the SEC, I’m definitely curious about them and want to learn more about their program.” This sounds like a very positive thing for Josh Heupel and Tennessee, as they don't have a quarterback commit in the 2027 class yet.
Illinois 2027 4-star QB commit Kamden Lopati is intrigued after receiving a recent offer from Tennessee, @GregBiggins reports👀
— Rivals (@Rivals) December 18, 2025
“With Tennessee being in the SEC, I’m definitely curious about them and want to learn more about their program.”
Read: https://t.co/h5v83LqOH9 pic.twitter.com/umGfvTVgbo
Tennessee is trying to flip QB Kamden Lopati
Lopati is a 4-star quarterback from Salt Lake City, Utah, a state that Tennessee doesn't typically recruit hard. On3 has him ranked as the 11th quarterback in the 2027 class and the 117th-ranked player overall. The talented signal caller has also received offers from Arkansas, Arizona State, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, and plenty of others. Lopati is also a member of the Under Armour All-American Game roster.
He is a dual-threat quarterback, and even more importantly, he has a big arm capable of driving the ball downfield. This trait is a must-have in the Josh Heupel system. Digging deeper on his Hudl tape, Lopati is not afraid to sling the ball on deep routes. He doesn't lack confidence and trusts his arm talent on difficult throws. It's becoming clear that he would be a great fit in Tennessee's offense.
Flipping Lopati won't be easy, as Illinois seems to have a great relationship with him. Some fans on X have joked that the winner of the Music City Bowl should be where he commits. That would be pretty exciting.
Adding Lopoti in 2027 with 5-star Faizon Brandon in the 2026 class would surely set up the Vols to have a deadly quarterback room. The competition for QB1 would be very exciting.
Stay tuned, because Tennessee could be celebrating 'flipmas' soon.