Daeden Hopkins on Why 'It's a Blessing' to put Hermann on the Map at Mizzou

Mizzou edge rusher Daeden Hopkins is one in 2,185. Why 2,185? That was the recorded population of his hometown of Hermann, Missouri, in 2020.

Not many players of Hopkins’ caliber come from Hermann. There’s Brock Olivo, a former standout running back and assistant coach at MU, who spent time in Hermann but transferred to St. Francis Borgia Regional High School in Washington, Missouri. Outside of Olivo, Hopkins seems to be the crown jewel of today’s day and age.

If 2,185 is too difficult of a number for some big-city natives to visualize, Hopkins broke it down a bit simpler.

“I tell everybody all the time — we have one chain restaurant in that town, and it's Subway, and it actually just closed down,” Hopkins told reporters Tuesday.

For reference, there’s two Subways on the University of Missouri campus — one of which is temporarily closed, for what it’s worth. There’s an extra eight in the city of Columbia — although some of those may also be temporarily closed, according to signs — and plenty, plenty more chain establishments.

Hopkins went to Hermann High School, where he played both sides of the ball. He tallied 67 tackles, 9 sacks, 5 pass deflections, one fumble recovery, 691 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in his 2023 junior season, per 247sports. Before that, he attended St. George Catholic School, where he graduated eighth grade with less students in his class than there are Subway’s in Columbia.

“I'm not sure how many people are in it, but I graduated eighth grade with like eight or nine people,” Hopkins said. “So it was real small.”

Despite the small size of his city, Hopkins’ stellar play at Hermann was enough to grab the attention of Power Four programs. He picked up offers from Iowa State, Kansas State, Kansas and Missouri in September and October of his junior season. After earning offers from three more P4 programs in the coming months, Hopkins eventually committed to his hometown school, Missouri.

Transitioning to SEC Football

He signed with Missouri in Dec. 2024 and enrolled the following June, preparing to begin his freshman season. He was set to face quite the jump in competition level, going from playing against his fellow small-town teammates and opponents to the giants of the Southeastern Conference.

Among the tackles Hopkins would’ve been squaring off with in practice include Cayden Green, Johnny Williams IV, Keagen Trost and Jayven Richardson, all of which were at least 6-foot-4 and weighed more than 310 pounds. Yeesh.

“I remember taking my first rep, it was in the summer — OTA’s. I was scared. I was really scared,” Hopkins said. “But, you know, I got through it.”

He got through it perfectly fine. Hopkins carved out a role for himself in his true freshman season, playing double-digit snaps in Missouri’s games against Central Arkansas, Louisiana and Massachusetts. He earned the trust of the coaching staff, playing a season-high 22 snaps against Mississippi State in the Tigers’ last home game of the season.

Hopkins logged five tackles and a sack in the contest, showing a glimpse of what could come from future production. Drinkwitz opted to sit Hopkins the rest of the season in order to preserve his redshirt, which under the NCAA’s previous eligibility rules, was a testament to the importance Drinkwitz believed Hopkins could play in seasons down the line.

Hopkins stuck around at Missouri through last offseason’s transfer portal cycle. He had a stellar offseason, putting on nearly 15 pounds of muscle to reach the 250-pound mark. It impressed his coaches even more, as edge coach Brian Early told Missouri On SI that he envisioned Hopkins as one of three potential “breakout” candidates in the room, and Drinkwitz had even higher praise.

"There's a kid from Hermann, Missouri, named Daeden Hopkins," Drinkwitz said at a ZOU-to-YOU event May 19 in Springfield. "And if he stays the course, he'll be a first-round draft pick."

A Breakout Season

The final destination of that course is a long way away. Hopkins won’t be eligible for pro ball until the 2028 NFL Draft, but in the meantime, he’s looking like he’s right on track. In his first P4 game of the season, Hopkins logged three tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in Missouri’s 38-21 win over Kansas across the border.

He was named co-SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance. People across the college football world are noticing, but people in Hermann have been following along.

“So I actually talked to my mom last night, and she said like everybody's talking about me,” Hopkins said. … “It's an honor. It's a blessing to just be recognized in my hometown.”

People will likely continue to talk about Hopkins in the coming months. Through the first two games of the season, he leads Missouri’s defense in pressures (12), sacks (2) and hurries (9). He also ranks second among MU edge rushers with 66 snaps, trailing only Darris Smith.

Despite being so early in his career, Hopkins is primed to play a pivotal role for the Tigers’ defense. As Drinkwitz and the people of Hermann have alluded, Hopkins is a name that is and will be talked about as his success continues to grow.

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