When Kamden Lopati needs a break from the life of a big-time quarterback recruit, he has a way to escape. He’ll throw a saddle on his horse and go for a ride in Utah’s mountain air to clear his head.The horse’s name is Seven. That’s not Lopati’s jersey number, an allusion to scoring touchdowns or a ”Seinfeld” reference. Lopati picked the name with his grandfather, Ken Clark, who introduced him to horseback riding.“His grandpa battled through cancer seven times,” said Keith Lopati, Kamden’s father. “The seventh time he was able to get in remission, so they named him Seven.”Learning to rope and ride helped Kamden find peace amid the drama that comes with being one of the most sought-after high school quarterbacks in the country.The attention intensified a few weeks ago when Lopati, who plays at West High School near Salt Lake City, decommitted from Illinois and found himself caught in a tug-of-war between Michigan and Notre Dame.While his friends were enjoying spring break, Lopati, the No. 119 player in the 2027 Rivals industry rankings, huddled with his family to make a decision that would set the course for the rest of his football career. Michigan was viewed as the front-runner because of Lopati’s relationship with Kyle Whittingham and other coaches from Utah, but it wasn’t a foregone conclusion.Saying no to Notre Dame and Illinois was a gut-wrenching decision.“I was literally just at home trying to figure this whole commitment thing out,” Lopati said. “It was the most stressful week of my life.”Ultimately, Lopati’s familiarity with the coaches at Michigan won out. His family’s connection with Whittingham goes back decades, though it wasn’t rekindled until recently.Keith Lopati was a high school running back from Utah who visited BYU before signing with Hawaii. One of his hosts on that visit was Whittingham, a linebacker at BYU. Keith reminded Whittingham of that years later when Utah began recruiting Kamden. At that point, being recruited by Whittingham carried a bit more sway.“He was like the governor of Utah,” Keith Lopati said. “To get a one-on-one with him was crazy hard. We finally got that last year. I brought it up, and he started laughing. He goes, ‘Oh my gosh, I remember that.’”Kamden Lopati connected with Whittingham, offensive coordinator Jason Beck and other coaches at Utah, but playing for the Utes wasn’t in the cards. Kamden wanted to follow the path set by his brother Karson, a quarterback who left his home state to play at Navy.When Lopati committed to Illinois in July, it was a familiar storyline for the Utes. Whittingham’s success at Utah wasn’t predicated on signing blue-chip recruits, and quarterback prospects of Lopati’s caliber were particularly elusive.Whittingham’s move to Michigan changed the equation. Whittingham had access to a higher tier of players, and Lopati had interest from a new suitor. A reassessment of the situation was in order. Decommitting from Illinois was difficult, he said, but the stakes were too high not to explore every option.Elite quarterback prospects stand to earn millions in revenue-sharing payments and NIL deals during their college careers, not to mention the personal and professional opportunities that await them after college. Lopati let his parents handle the financial side of his recruitment and focused on picking a program that he felt would prepare him to play in the NFL.On both counts, the Big Ten schools and Notre Dame stood above the rest, Keith Lopati said.“The Big Ten, yeah, more than any other conference, was the conference that was able to provide all of that for him,” he said. “It is life-changing, especially for our family.”Michigan showed it’s willing to spend by making an eight-figure investment in quarterback Bryce Underwood, who is entering his second season as the Wolverines’ starter. Lopati will join 2026 signees Tommy Carr and Brady Smigiel, and likely a few other players, in the competition to be the next quarterback in line.At 6 foot 3 and 220 pounds, Lopati is a strong-armed quarterback with a linebacker’s build. He can punish defenses with his legs but sees himself as a pure passer in the mold of Aaron Rodgers.“I think I kind of bring it all,” Lopati said. “I have a lot of stuff to work on. I think my passing is better than my running. I can kill them with my arm, and if I need to run, I can run and kill them there, too.”Olosaa Solovi, Lopati’s coach at West High, described Lopati as an “old soul” who doesn’t care much for the celebrity aspect of playing quarterback. He’s most content working out, riding his horse and spending time with his grandfather and uncle.That makes Lopati a natural fit with Whittingham, the ultimate no-frills coach. Michigan already has a strong Utah influence via the coaching staff, strength coach Doug Elisaia and transfers John Henry Daley, Smith Snowden, Jonah Lea’ea and Salesi Moa.After Whittingham arrived at Michigan in December, he quickly set his sights on Lopati as a priority for his 2027 recruiting class, which has climbed to No. 11 in the Rivals industry rankings.Lopati didn’t want to be coddled, his father said, and there’s no risk of that with Whittingham. At Utah, players knew there was no room for entitlement and no preferential treatment for anyone. That’s all the Lopatis want for Kamden at Michigan.“Not to say he wouldn’t have gotten that from Notre Dame, but he knows Utah has always been an underdog, no matter how you look at it,” Keith Lopati said. “Kam feels like he’s always an underdog.”Making a college decision was a weight off of Lopati’s shoulders. When he needs to decompress, his parents usually know where to find him: out on the trail, working in the stalls or honing his skills as a ranch hand. His father doesn’t totally understand it — “I’m not a horse guy,” he said — but he’s glad Kamden found the escape.“It’s been a really positive thing for him,” Keith Lopati said. “Football can be pretty crazy, as well as school. You need a break every now and then. This was his break, spending time with his horse.”