High School

New QB at national No. 1 Mater Dei is one cool, fast cat

Wisconsin commit Ryan Hopkins may be on hot seat, but you'd never know it talking to the fleet new offensive leader of Monarchs; He talks pressure, opportunity, receivers and the Badgers

Mitch Stephens

New Mater Dei quarterback Ryan Hopkins not only is poised to lead the nation's No. 1 team, he's downright giddy about it
New Mater Dei quarterback Ryan Hopkins not only is poised to lead the nation's No. 1 team, he's downright giddy about it / Courtesy photo Ryan Hopkins

If ever there was a hot seat in high school football, the new open quarterback spot at Mater Dei in Santa Ana (Calif.) certainly carries a sizzle.  

By every indication, senior Ryan Hopkins is immune to the heat.  

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound dual-threat senior transferred into the nation’s No. 1 program from Trinity League rival JSerra Catholic during the spring, and from the sound of his clear voice, the breakdown of his new teammates and coaches and the description of the Orange County campus, life is a bowl of cherries.

Or a box of chocolates. 

Like Forest Gump himself, Hopkins sees his situation as charmed and perhaps even destined.

He hopes to follow the path of last year’s starting quarterback Dash Beierly (now at the University of Washington), who transferred to Mater Dei as a senior from nearby Chaparral, leading the Monarchs to a 13-0 record, along with section, state and national championships. 

“I love where I’m at,” Hopkins said at the end of July. “Everything has been all so smooth. My teammates, coaches, all my classes. Everything has been great.

“Obviously there’s pressure in coming to Mater Dei, but there’s pressure just playing the position,” he said. “I’m going to have that pressure at the next level, so given this opportunity, I’m thrilled to have it. There’s no position in high school sports that could be greater, so I’m grateful for it, and plan to take full advantage.” 

Run Ryan run!

It’s not like Hopkins, a three-star talent who committed to Wisconsin on April 13, entered Mater Dei completely blind. 

His three older sisters — Haley, Hannah and Holly — all attended Mater Dei. Two played soccer, with Haley earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors at Virginia. She currently plays professionally. 

Hopkins’ dad  David was a running back, sprinter and played baseball as a prep in Virginia, eventually signing a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. 

Ryan definitely developed the family’s running gene, though was a flag football quarterback as early as the third grade. “I didn’t play tackle until the sixth or seventh grade,” he said. “I loved playing quarterback. I worked at it but I was really kind of late to the party when I gained some size in the eighth grade or so.”

That’s when he started to train with private coaches, and that along with his gradual increase in speed and strength turned him into a college football prospect. 

He played little as a sophomore, but really developed last season throwing for 1,111 yards and 13 touchdowns while leading the Lions in rushing with 483 yards and rushing touchdowns (eight). 

His flat out speed — he ran a 10.66-second 100 meters for the Monarchs in the spring and was second leg (the fastest) on the 4x100 relay team that finished in 41.65 at the Arcadia Invitational — definitely caught the attention of college coaches. 

‘Just different’ in Madison (Wis.) 

He’s ranked the No. 31 quarterback in the Class of 2026 according to 247Sports and besides Wisconsin, carries 10 other offers, including Arizona, Michigan State, Cal, Washington and Oklahoma State. 

He’s fully committed to the Badgers, he said. 

“Everything about the culture, the school, the campus I just love,” Hopkins said. “Everytime I talk to coach (Luke) Fickell and (offensive coordinator Jeff) Grimes I just feel better and better about my decision. It just feels different. I love how they handle themselves. Run their system. I just want to be a part of it.”

According to 247Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins, Wisconsin is getting a quarterback with a very high ceiling.

"He has a prototypical pocket passer frame but can really run," Biggins said. "He was probably more advanced as an athlete than a thrower coming in to the (2024) season, (but) has made big strides in terms of his accuracy, touch and overall feel for the position.

"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."

Now it’s all about Mater Dei, which some have compared to a college program. 

‘The hype is true’

Over the last decade, the Monarchs have annually featured between 20 to 30 college-bound players. The current squad boasts five of the top 77 recruited players in the country (by 247Sports), three of them receivers — tight end Mark Bowman (No. 31, USC commit), along with Ohio State-bound wideouts Chris Henry Jr. (No. 39) and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (No. 60). 

Add in junior Gavin Honore (Georgia commit) and sophomores Jaylen Grier and Dylan Paolone, and Hopkins along with last year’s backup Furian Inferrera, have a regular receiving smorgasbord. 

“All the hype of (Bowman) and all the guys is true,” Hopkins said. “All of them make my life so much easier. Those guys, the coaches have been so welcoming and helped me fit in. I’m just trying to do my job so we can be the best version of ourselves.” 

Considering the Monarchs are defending state and national champions, and a consensus preseason No. 1 in the country, including by High Schools On SI, the best version can’t get any better. 

With second-year head coach Raul Lara, who has won 205 games over a 30-year plus career, running a tight ship, the Monarchs aren’t resting on reputation. They open the season at Florida and national power St. Thomas Aquinas on Aug. 23 as part of the ESPN Kickoff Weekend.

“It’s been a nonstop grind since I arrived,” Hopkins said. “And I’m thrilled and honored to be a part of all of it. I can’t wait for the season to start.”

Published
Mitch Stephens
MITCH STEPHENS

Mitch Stephens is a senior editor at SBLive Sports for California, a state he's covered high school sports since 1984. He won multiple CNPA and CPSWA writing awards with the Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle and MaxPreps.com before joining the SBLive staff in 2022. He's covered the beat nationally since 2007, profiling such athletes as Derrick Henry, Paige Bueckers, Patrick Mahomes, Sabrina Ionescu, Jayson Tatum, Chiney Ogwumike, Jeremy Lin and Najee Harris as preps. You can reach him at mitch@scorebooklive.com.

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