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Early Signing Day: Dual-threat quarterback Ryan Hopkins signs with the Wisconsin Badgers

A closer look at Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei quarterback Ryan Hopkins, who committed to the Wisconsin Badgers in April 2025.
Benjamin Worgull|
Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei quarterback Ryan Hopkins
Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei quarterback Ryan Hopkins | Jake Kocorowski/BadgerObserver

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Wisconsin Badgers

MADISON, Wis. – Ryan Hopkins could use his 10.66 100-meter dash speed and rack up a thousand-yard season if he wanted to. That's appealing to the University of Wisconsin, but what the Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei quarterback does when he doesn't run is equally impressive.

A mobile quarterback with a pro-style skillset, Hopkins has shown through his highlights and game play that he's comfortable working through his progressions in the pocket and doesn't panic when things start to collapse, keeping his eyes downfield and willing to take to hit to make the throw. With impeccable ball placement and sound mechanics, it's a wonder why Hopkins wasn't more highly sought after.

We take a closer look at Hopkins and how his addition improves the program.

The Bio

Hometown: Santa Ana, CA
High School: Mater Dei
Position: Quarterback
Star Rating (via 247sports composite): Three stars, rated No.34 quarterback and No.599 overall
Commitment date: April 13, 2025

Stats


Hopkins went 81-for-144 (56.3 percent) for 1,111 yards as a junior, finishing with 13 touchdowns to five interceptions. He rushed for 483 yards on 58 carries (8.3 ypc) and eight touchdowns.

Recruiting Competition

Hopkins picked Wisconsin over second-favorite Missouri. He also had power-conference scholarship offers from Arizona, California, Kentucky, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, USF, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. He also picked up an offer from UCLA after his commitment.

On Wisconsin

"The culture at Wisconsin really stood out to me. They're all about their hard work, toughness. It really just felt like family. The energy around the program is unmatched from the coaches to the fans who come out and support them. I trust the coaching staff and believe in their vision for the program."
- Hopkins vis 247sports

Scouting Report via 247sports' Greg Biggins

Hopkins has emerged this season as one of the top quarterback prospects in the ’26 West Coast class. He has a prototypical pocket passer frame but can really run. He clocked a 10.97-100m last Spring but was probably more advanced as an athlete than a thrower coming in to this season. He has made big strides in terms of his accuracy, touch and overall feel for the position. He’s a threat to take off and run at any time and has multiple touchdown runs of 20+ yards on the season. You can see the game starting to slow down for him, he’s processing it quicker and when you look at his raw tools and how quickly he’s developing, his upside is extremely high.

Our take

Recruiting a player with strong athletic blood lines is never a bad thing. Hopkins' father, David, played baseball at Virginia was drafted in 1982 in the 14th round by the Texas Rangers, and Ryan's older sister, Haley, was an all-SEC soccer selection for three seasons at Vanderbilt and then an all-ACC pick at Virginia.

Hopkins first saw the Badgers as a junior when he made an unofficial visit to Wisconsin's home game against Penn State and returned in the spring for more intimate conversations with the staff. He scheduled an official visit to Madison for later in the year but decided to commit before returning to campus. While originally offered by former offensive coordinator Phil Longo, current offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes and quarterback coach Kenny Guiton both kept him as a top target.

There's no debate that Wisconsin's quarterback room has been a mess, with the incoming transfer starting quarterback getting injured for three straight seasons and the backups being unqualified to play. True freshman Carter Smith played the last four games, maintaining his redshirt, but didn't play to the level where Wisconsin can anoint him the starter next season. As a result, UW was the worst power-conference program in passing yards per game at 136.4 yards.

It's a near certainty that a veteran quarterback is coming in, but it would be a disservice of UW doesn't push every quarterback in the room to be starter-ready. That bodes well for Hopkins to be able to compete for time at a position that desperately needs a spark.

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Benjamin Worgull
BENJAMIN WORGULL

Benjamin Worgull has covered Wisconsin men's basketball since 2004, having previously written for Rivals, USA Today, 247sports, Fox Sports, the Associated Press, the Janesville Gazette, and the Wisconsin State Journal.

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