Husky Roster Review: Hopkins Plays With Motivation, Without Pay

Walk-on players typically come and go at the University of Washington after growing weary of practicing but not playing on game day.

Unless, of course, you are Milton Hopkins Jr., who is entering his fifth and final season with the Huskies.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound senior edge rusher has appeared in 18 UW games, including all 13 last season, most of them on special teams.

In 2023, Hopkins even got into the game in Tucson against Jedd Fisch's Arizona team, pulling defensive snaps with everything still very much in doubt.

He's the reason why walk-ons still matter and deserve an opportunity to pull on a uniform and dream a little or a lot, and maybe get paid something in this new era of player financial dispersals. He's been free to the UW so far.

Milton Hopkins Jr. stretches out before a spring practice. | Skylar Lin Visuals

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the Husky roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did this past spring and what to expect from them going forward.

While he was a high school quarterback for nearby O'Dea and still wears what's usually considered a signal-caller number, Hopkins showed up noticeably bigger this spring as he continues his quest to play as much defense as he can in Montlake.

Milton Hopkins Jr. has put on a few pounds since this spring 2023 moment. | Skylar Lin Visuals

He typically came out with the third-unit edge rushers and paired up with one-time Michigan transfer Hayden Moore making the conversion from linebacker.

He seemed to have a fairly steady spring with the exception of momentarily getting hurt in the Huskies' ninth practice in a Saturday scrimmage. On a pass play, he went down in pain and was examined by trainers before getting helped up and walked off the field.

Yet as is Hopkins' style, he shook it off and returned to action not much later.

MILTON HOPKINS JR. FILE

What he's done: Hopkins basically has played for free, in those 18 games, for three different Husky coaches, beginning with Jimmy Lake, answering to Kalen DeBoer and pulling plenty of duty for Fisch. In all that time, he has just 2 tackles, getting one against Tulsa and another against California, both in 2023.

Starter or not: The edge position is so deep, Hopkins likely won't be a starter, but the Huskies know they can use him whenever they need.

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