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Wisconsin Badgers 4-star QB commit throws 5 TDs in 21-point comeback victory

The Wisconsin Badgers are desperate for better quarterback play. Their prized recruit in the class of 2026 is showing that he can provide it.
Lorin Cox|
Mater Dei High School junior Ryan Hopkins committed to Wisconsin.
Mater Dei High School junior Ryan Hopkins committed to Wisconsin. | Sam Collins/X

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers are desperate for better quarterback play. Their prized recruit in the class of 2026 is showing that he can provide it.

Four-star QB Ryan Hopkins from California put on a show Friday night, leading his team to a spectacular comback victory.

Luke Fickell would love to have a passer who could do that right now.

Hopkins plays for Mater Dei, who trailed 24-10 at the half against the No. 1 team in the state, St. John Bosco.

In the second half, he completed nine of his 12 pass attempts for 175 yards and four touchdowns to secure a 36-31 victory.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers' 2026 QB commit connects on multiple deep bombs in dominant win

Hopkins finished the game with five touchdown passes and nearly 300 yards, including a 70-yard score to Ohio State commit Chris Henry Jr., who had over 200 receiving yards on the day.

It's the quarterback's fourth multi-touchdown game of the season, according to Max Preps. He had been more quiet in his last two games, when he didn't throw any touchdowns in back-to-back wins.

He looks the part of a future Big Ten passer, and Badger Blitz reports that Hopkins remains firmly committed to playing for Wisconsin despite the Badgers' losing streak.

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He is Fickell's only quarterback commit for the class of 2026. ESPN ranks him as the 11th best QB in the country as a four-star recruit, while Rivals and 247 Sports have him as a three-star in the Top 45.

As Wisconsin continues to struggle under center, the opportunity only gets bigger for Hopkins to have an early impact in Madison.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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