Wisconsin football lands 4-star QB Ryan Hopkins in the 2026 recruiting class
Wisconsin football landed 2026 QB Ryan Hopkins, a 4-star prospect from Mater Dei, in a big recruiting win for Jeff Grimes and Kenny Guiton.
Sometimes, all it takes is the right visit to connect the dots. For class of 2026 quarterback Ryan Hopkins, an unofficial visit to check out the Wisconsin football program earlier this month helped bring everything into focus.
On Sunday, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound signal-caller out of California’s Mater Dei High School announced his commitment to the Badgers—giving head coach Luke Fickell and coordinator Jeff Grimes their potential quarterback of the future.
Hopkins had no shortage of options—Arizona, Washington, California, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Kentucky, Missouri, and Duke, among others, had scholarship offers on the table—but, in the end, he chose Wisconsin.
This isn’t a “maybe he’ll develop into something down the road” type of take. This is a clear statement about what this staff is looking for under center and what they believe they’ve found in Hopkins.
Let’s start with the profile.
Hopkins, originally from Newport Beach, spent his junior season at JSerra Catholic, where he threw for 1,111 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for another eight scores and 483 yards on the ground. He’s not a pure scrambler, but he’s plenty mobile. He’s efficient. And he’s an improviser when things break down—which is what Grimes’ offense needs.
He’s got the frame you want in a traditional pocket passer—but don’t let that fool you. This kid can move. We’re talking about a quarterback who posted a 10.97 in the 100-meter dash last spring, and that speed shows up when he tucks it and goes. Early on, he looked more like an athlete playing quarterback. Now? You can see the strides he’s made as a passer.
The ball comes out with more touch. The accuracy has improved. And the way he’s starting to process the game? That’s the most encouraging part. It’s slowing down for him, and the decisions are coming faster. When you pair that kind of athleticism with the way he’s developing as a thrower, you’re looking at a QB prospect with serious long-term upside.
If you’ve watched Grimes' offenses at Baylor or BYU, the preference is clear: quarterbacks need to be comfortable moving off-platform, throwing on the run, and operating within a system heavy on play action and misdirection.
Hopkins’ game fits that mold.
"I think they've got to be able to provide some sort of athleticism. And I think in two ways: one, they have to have the ability to escape and get out of trouble when you're throwing the football," said Grimes. "Then I'd like for them to present some level of run threat to the defense. How much depends on a number of other factors. I look at it on a sliding scale.
"If a guy is a dynamic athlete and every time he touches the ball, he's got a chance to make an explosive play, then I might take a little bit less in some of the other categories. Ideally, you've got a big guy who's a great thrower and a good runner. There are very few teams that are talented enough everywhere to play with a quarterback that can't move around."
And it’s no accident that Wisconsin’s new quarterbacks coach, Kenny Guiton, made Hopkins feel like a priority the moment he took over the room full time.
The recruiting rankings will vary depending on which service you prefer. Rivals has him as a four-star and a top-25 quarterback nationally. The 247Sports Composite and On3 have him as a three-star. But the common denominator? He’s viewed as one of the top senior quarterbacks on the West Coast—and he hasn’t even played a snap yet for Mater Dei, arguably the country's most well-known high school football program.
That change in scenery matters. Hopkins is betting on himself by transferring into a nationally competitive environment for his senior season, and if he takes another step and shows out the way he’s capable of, don’t be surprised if more blue blood programs come calling to try and flip him.
Wisconsin had been in the mix with a few other quarterbacks, and with official visits looming for Brodie McWhorter and Travis Burgess, the timing made sense for Hopkins to lock in his spot. All signs point to the Badgers only taking one quarterback in the 2026 cycle—and for now, Hopkins is that guy. Word is, some bigger programs are starting to sniff around, and this recruitment might not be over. But for now, Hopkins is in the fold.
“The culture at Wisconsin really stood out to me,” Hopkins said. “They’re all about their hard work, toughness. It really just felt like family. I trust the staff and believe in their vision for the program.”
Hopkins will still take visits—an official is scheduled for the end of May—but the commitment gives Wisconsin a huge building block in the 2026 class. It also marks another win in what’s quietly been an impressive recruiting stretch for the Badgers, who’ve added five players to the class, including Hopkins, wide receiver Tayshon Bardo, cornerback Carsen Eloms, interior offensive lineman Benjamin Novak, and edge rusher Carmelow Reed.
Quarterbacks are typically the first domino to fall in any given recruiting class—but that’s not how this one shook out. Wisconsin originally landed Jarin Mock under former offensive coordinator Phil Longo. But, after the coaching change, the Badgers and Mock agreed to part ways, realizing he wasn’t the best fit for the new offensive direction under Grimes.
Hopkins' game isn’t perfect—far from it. His junior season completion percentage was around 56%, and there’s room to grow in terms of consistency and downfield accuracy. But the tools are real. The frame is legit. And most importantly, he fits what Wisconsin is building toward.
This wasn’t about taking some late-cycle flier. Wisconsin’s been tracking Hopkins for a long time. He was originally offered by Longo—and when the offensive direction changed with the Grimes hire, that interest didn’t waver. In fact, it intensified. When two different coordinators watch the tape, do the homework, and both come to the same conclusion—that he’s a take—you can feel good about the overall evaluation.
Hopkins is in. And for the University of Wisconsin football program, the search for a 2026 quarterback is officially over.
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