Can SEC Transfer LB Ty’Ron Hopper Make Instant Impact for Mizzou?
After spending three seasons as a Florida Gator, linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper is no stranger to SEC football. The junior was a key member in the Gators’ defensive rotation for the past two years and made four starts in 2021, his best season so far.
After recording career highs in tackles at 62, along with 2.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss last fall, Hopper has made his way to Columbia and will suit up for the Missouri Tigers in 2022.
His name may even sound familiar to some Tigers’ fans, as he had his best game against Missouri last season, bagging twelve tackles.
Hopper is well suited to play outside linebacker with great sideline-to-sideline speed for his 6’2” 220-pound frame, having clocked a 4.56 40-yard dash according to NFLDraftScout.com.
The Peach State native is good against the pass with the agility to keep up with backs coming out of the backfield. Hopper has also continued to improve his coverage skills, notching a career high in passes defended last season with two.
Hopper will need to improve his ability to shed blockers in 2022, he relies heavily on his initial burst to get into the backfield but sometimes struggles once engaged with opposing linemen due to his lighter build.
In terms of fit, Hopper’s athleticism and seasoned nose for the ball will be welcome attributes to the Tigers’ linebacker room, and a sharp loss for the Gators, as Hopper was set to start for SEC East rival Florida this season.
The veteran defender will join fellow linebacker Chad Bailey, Mizzou’s returning leading tackler at the position who chalked up 55 tackles and a sack of his own last year. There will be a lot of new faces for Hopper to learn, but at least one that will be very familiar to him, his older brother Tyrone Hopper.
The elder Hopper is a defensive lineman who spent his first five years at North Carolina and then became a graduate transfer to team up with his younger brother at Missouri. Although he missed essentially all of 2021 due to injury, the sixth-year vet was a standout for the Tar Heels in 2020 and will bring some welcome experience and depth to the defensive line, an area Missouri needs to improve.
The elder Hopper will also provide a sense of familiarity for his younger brother Ty’Ron, who will be expected to impact games from the opening game against Louisiana Tech and moving forward.
Recently graduated linebacker Blaze Alldredge will be missed this season, but the Tigers may have struck gold while mining the transfer portal for his replacement. Hopper has all the tools to be an All-SEC linebacker and is a potential future NFL draft pick. If he can get a grip on the Tigers’ defensive schemes quickly, Mizzou may have a star in the making.
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