Wisconsin is now in a recruiting battle with UCLA as Ryan Hopkins has picked up a new offer from the Bruins. The Badgers have held his verbal commitment since April, but recently, the California QB who plays at Mater Dei has received interest and now an offer from UCLA.
Hopkins is locked in with the Badgers but the new interest and pursuit has put him on flip watch. Since this is an in-state offer and one in which Hopkins is excited about on social media.
UCLA offered! pic.twitter.com/g536x8Z3Mk
— Ryan Hopkins (@RyanHopkins07) August 16, 2025
Wisconsin will need to stay vigilant to hold of UCLA
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UCLA may be the most intriguing offer for Hopkins in his bag. He has plenty of other high-level offers from Cal, Arizona, Kentucky, Michigan State, Washington, and many others. However, the Wisconsin offer he got back in October had him the most intrigued, eventually committing to Luke Fickell and the Badgers after a couple of visits.
Last week, he told SI.com, "Every time 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.”
UCLA likes what they see out of Hopkins, who is now taking over the starting QB assignment at one of the most well-known football schools on the West Coast. He will be filling the shoes of Dash Beierly, now a freshman at Washington.
Hopkins has the ability to sit in the pocket and read the defense, but also take off on the run. He's fast and knows how to use his speed to break down a defense that isn't paying attention to him. It helps that he's also a track star in California and has been trained in running with power and efficiency.
Wisconsin will need to work on keeping him in the fold, as he is currently their only 2026 QB commit, and now that he's at Mater Dei, he's going to be getting lots of attention.