Badgers QBs Gush Over True Freshman Ryan Hopkins: 'He's been balling'

Wisconsin's quarterback room, like its coaching staff, is quite impressed with freshman Ryan Hopkins.

Wisconsin quarterback Ryan Hopkins. | Christian Borman.

True freshman quarterback Ryan Hopkins has been the talk of the town in Madison.

Initially, he seemed doomed to a reserve role in 2026. With a clear starter (Colton Joseph) and two older, more experienced quarterbacks who have Power Four starts under their belt (Deuce Adams, Carter Smith), Hopkins looked like the odd man out. For a three-star, early enrollee freshman, that's normal.

But what Hopkins has done since stepping foot in Madison has been anything but normal. Significantly more advanced, mentally and physically, than coaches and media alike even thought possible, the gunslinger has rocketed up the depth chart and is currently neck-and-neck with Adams, the Louisville transfer, for the QB2 role.

Yes, the signal-caller who should currently be a high school senior has a real shot at the backup quarterback gig. That's unprecedented in the experience of his position coach Kenny Guiton:

“I don’t know if I’ve ever had a high school senior come in and split reps with the twos," he said this spring.

Hopkins' maturity shines

Wisconsin's quarterback room. | Christian Borman.

Every coach from Fickell to Guiton to offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes has lauded what Hopkins has brought to the table. His fellow quarterbacks, some of whom have been firmly put on notice by his play the past couple of weeks, like what they see as well.

“I think he’s been balling," Joseph said. "It’s not even the big plays he makes. I think the most impressive part is, we have a shot called. He identifies the pressure and gets it to the check-down for a 10-yard gain. I think the little things like that are the most impressive."

Joseph is impressed with Hopkins' awareness and grasp of the offense. That aligns with the comments his coaches have made, that he has a certain intangible maturity to him, that he's way beyond his years. As Guiton said, "He’s kinda an older guy in a young guy’s body.”

It would be one thing if Hopkins was simply wowing with his physical traits. We knew he was a gifted athlete. We knew about the speed from his 10.97 100-meter time. We knew he could make all the throws from his high school tape.

But quarterbacks need to be extremely mentally sharp as well, and that's the part of their development that usually takes some time at the college level. The fact that Hopkins looks dialed in mentally while being every bit as physically capable as expected, if not more, is truly exciting.

Hopkins vs. Deuce Adams

Wisconsin quarterback Deuce Adams. | Christian Borman.

Adams has been impressed by Hopkins too. Although given that the two are in a razor-thin competition for the QB2 gig, his praise was more reserved:

“He’s a great quarterback. He can throw, he can run. Kinda like Colton, really. Those Cali boys. But na, he’s good as a freshman," he said.

Though you can tell Adams is more hesitant to heap praise on the man he's directly competing with, you can also tell he's been impressed by what he's seen.

Hopkins' emergence might be the biggest storyline to come out of spring ball. Fall camp — and that battle for the QB2 gig — should be fireworks.