Husky Roster Review: Hopkins Finds Himself on Edge of Breakthrough

One of 29 walk-ons for the University of Washington football team, Milton Hopkins Jr. is part of that 25 percent of the roster who play without scholarships.

It's a difficult existence, not just financially but also emotionally, with these guys not always sure where they stand with the coaches and whether they'll ever get on the field on game day.

A converted quarterback turned edge rusher, the 6-foot-4, 226-pound Hopkins ran with the No. 2 defense much of spring practice because of injuries to Maurice Heims, Zach Durfee and the since departed Sav'ell Smalls, all scholarship defenders.

Entering his third season at the UW, Hopkins recommitted himself to the program following the Huskies' 27-20 Alamo Bowl victory over Texas in December. In the offseason, he's been shown on social media video lifting heavy amounts of weight, surrounded by others urging him on.

"I want to contribute," Hopkins said. "It took the bowl to make me realize I wanted to be here, to be a contributor."

Going down the roster from No. 0 to 99, Hopkins, who wears No. 14 on defense, is next up in a series of profiles about each of the Huskies' scholarship players and assorted walk-ons, summing up their spring football performances and surmising what might come next for them.

Converted quarterback Milton Hopkins Jr. is one of 29 walk-ons at the UW, someone who plays as an edge rusher without a football scholarship.

Milton Hopkins Jr. tackles a teammate onto a padded landing area, working on his form during spring practice in Husky Stadium.

Injuries to fellow edge rushers enabled Milton Hopkins Jr. to pull a lot of spring snaps with the second-unit Husky defense.

Milton Hopkins shows off his athleticism in this edge-rusher drill, with the former quarterback moving well with his 6-foot-4, 226-pound frame.

A sophomore from Seattle, Milton Hopkins is in his third season in the UW football program as a walk-on edge rusher determined to be a contributor.

Hopkins, no relation to the Husky basketball coach, is best known for quarterbacking Seattle's O'Dea High football team to a number of successes before the pandemic got in the way.

In 2019, he directed the Fighting Irish to a notable 28-6 upset of J.T. Tuimoloau-led Eastside Catholic, ending the Crusaders' 18-game winning streak, and later taking O'Dea into the state championship game for a rematch with the same team. That season, he threw for 12 touchdowns and ran for 9 scores.

Great job Hop! Your hard work is paying off. https://t.co/NOdJbgFvim
— Ron McKeefery, PhD (@RMcKeefery) November 29, 2022

However, Hopkins switched solely to defense when joining Jimmy Lake's program in 2020. A year later in spring ball, he felt the opportunity was there to move up the depth chart but he couldn't make it happen and came away disappointed.

So he presses on. Of those 29 UW walk-ons, just 12 have received game time. Hopkins isn't one of them. At least not yet. Meantime, he pushes on, trying to make something happen in Montlake.

"It's been a long couple of years, for sure," he said.

MILTON HOPKINS FILE

Service: Hopkins enters his third season in the UW football program and hasn't appeared in a Husky game yet.

Stats: He has no official stats for the Huskies.

Role: After running with the No. 2 defense in spring ball, even if others were injured, Hopkins remains hopeful he'll matter more to the program someday soon. He's remade his body. He's trying to make it happen. He's someone to keep an eye on.

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