Wisconsin freshman Ryan Hopkins could help Badgers finally stabilize their quarterback situation

MADISON, Wis. — Ryan Hopkins never backed down from his decision to play at Wisconsin, even as the Badgers went through a revolving door of quarterbacks while having one of the nation’s lowest-ranked offenses his senior year of high school.

“I just saw what it could be,” Hopkins said. “I saw the future of this program.”

That future has arrived midway through Hopkins’ freshman season.

Hopkins made his first start last week and went 18 of 24 for 241 yards with three touchdown passes in a 31-10 victory over Rutgers. That performance earned Hopkins another start Saturday at Maryland (3-6, 1-5 Big Ten), raising hopes that the Badgers (6-3, 4-2) finally have found a long-term fix for one of their biggest issues.

Wisconsin’s had nine different quarterbacks start games over the last four seasons. Hopkins is only the second of those quarterbacks who signed with Wisconsin directly out of high school rather than transferring there.

He committed to Wisconsin in the spring of 2025 and stuck with the Badgers as they went 4-8 last season. Hopkins had faith in coach Luke Fickell’s staff and believed he could help make it work here.

“I think Ryan just wanted to be a part of a program’s revival, to bring something great back to Wisconsin,” said Hopkins’ father, David Hopkins.

Sibling rivalries gave him toughness

Hopkins grew up as the youngest sibling in a family full of athletes.

His sister Haley plays professional soccer for the KC Current. Holly Hopkins plays beach volleyball for College of Charleston. Another sister, Hannah, competed in track in college and rowed.

They competed with their little brother in everything from soccer to dodgeball when he was still a little kid who wasn’t old enough to beat them consistently.

“All they wanted to do was get to him, get under his skin by beating him,” David Hopkins recalled. “They know also as he grew up this wasn’t going to work for them anymore. They had this sweet spot — a certain number of young years where they could toughen him up and humble him and make it known that you’ve got to earn it, buddy.”

Those lessons are still paying off now.

“I owe a lot to my family, the way I was raised,” Ryan Hopkins said. “With my parents and my sisters, it was a competitive household. Obviously I get a lot of my competitive nature from that.”

That background also helped bring Hopkins to Madison.

Hopkins says he enjoys being in a true college town. His father remembered enjoying road trips to face the Midwest League's Madison Muskies during his years playing minor league baseball in the Texas Rangers' system. Hopkins’ mother, Beth Hopkins, noted the benefits of playing college football up north.

“If your ultimate goal is the NFL, you need to play in some weather,” Beth Hopkins said. “That’s the Midwest. That’s the true, original Big Ten. If you get drafted by the Browns or Eagles and you’ve never played in the snow before, forget it.”

Hopkins played soccer and baseball before devoting himself to football and becoming a quarterback. Teammates say that baseball background is apparent from the velocity of his passes.

“He throws like a pitcher,” tight end Jacob Harris said. “It looks like he’s going to through a missile through your chest, every single time he throws the ball.”

High school transfer aided his development

Harris also noted the work ethic and confidence that have enabled Hopkins to set himself apart from the typical freshman. Hopkins prepared himself by transferring from JSerra Catholic in San Juan Capistrano, California, to spend his senior year at Mater Dei in Santa Ana.

It wasn’t an easy choice. Beth Hopkins noted that her son was “pretty distraught about leaving his friends and coaches” at his old school. They put together a list of pros and cons before finally deciding to make the move to one of the nation’s top high school programs.

Hopkins’ pass catchers at Mater Dei included Ohio State's Chris Henry Jr. and Southern California teammates Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Mark Bowman as well as Gavin Honore, who has committed to Oregon State.

“The competition you’re surrounded by and the players you’re with, the defense you’re going against in practice every day, the defense you’re going against on Friday nights, that just really helped me prepare at a high level,” Hopkins said. “Obviously it’s not the same as a college level … but the transition was a lot smoother.”

His teammates notice the difference it’s made in him.

“He’s fearless,” Harris said. “He’s not going to flinch at anything. He’s going to make decisions and live with them. Having a young guy, especially at that position, be so sure of himself so early is definitely something that's not exactly super common. I’ve certainly never seen it.”