Justin Hopkins spent the past few weeks heading towards college decisions, and now he’s in.
A three-star defensive retreat from Tennessee, Hopkins is Minnesota on monday. The Gophers defeated the state’s volunteers Georgia Tech and USC.
Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck And his staff then pressed all the right buttons on DB Targets, which had been advertised for weeks, leading to his commitment.
“Minnesota has given us all the reasons to believe that growing as a player and as a person is the best place to grow,” Hopkins said. rival. “From the moment I stepped onto campus I felt the love and support from the coaching staff, players and the community. The life after the game, resources and the vision they have for me is this. It’s where I belong and I didn’t see any reason to wait anymore to make it official.”
Fleck and various members of Minnesota coaching staff have reached Nashville (Tennessee) Ensworth High several times over the past month, changing as coaches head their way to check their top goals.
The 6-foot, 170-pound DB felt the Gophers approach stands out from the pack.
“What stands out most is the real relationship I built with my coach – they were real with me from day one – sugar coating, no pressure – belief in my abilities and my success. The plan to help “Hopkins details.” They tried to get to know me as a person, not just a player. That made a lot of sense. The campus itself is home and culture that makes the most of who I am. Feeling, competitive, hardworking, built into a family. Every time I visited I was able to see myself thriving here. It was something they cherished and wanted to me. It’s because of how intentional they were by making them feel like they’re doing.”
Minnesota has shut out three other candidates due to Hopkins’ commitment, and has been trending in advertised DB since its last unofficial visit to campus in November.
“All four schools were great, but I just felt Minnesota was different,” he insisted. “It wasn’t just facilities and rankings. It was about people, energy and the vision they had for me. Here I made it clear that this is the right place: the Big Ten, and next It is prepared for the level.
