Ensworth junior cornerback Justin Hopkins is encouraged by where the Minnesota football program is headed under coach P.J. Fleck.
Hopkins didn’t want to waste any more time thinking over his college decision. He committed to Minnesota on Tuesday, announcing live on Instagram.
Hopkins, a 6-foot, 160-pound four-star prospect, committed to the Golden Gophers over Tennessee football, USC and coach Lincoln Riley, and Georgia Tech.
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“When I went on campus (this past season) I went to the Penn State game, and they lost by one point. We just saw the atmosphere and the energy around Minnesota football,” Hopkins told The Tennessean. “You can tell a lot of people feel the exact same way.”
Hopkins is the No. 9 player from the 2026 class in Tennessee and No. 21 cornerback nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. He had two interceptions, seven pass breakups, 16 tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hurry and a defensive touchdown for Ensworth last season.
He’s also a talented receiver and kick returner. Hopkins caught 42 passes for 705 yards and seven TDs last season. He also had a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown.
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Hopkins said Minnesota coaches have told him he’ll primarily be at cornerback, but there will be opportunities to play offense and special teams in a return role.
Why 4-star cornerback Justin Hopkins chose Minnesota over Tennessee football
Hopkins said Tennessee coach Josh Heupel reaffirmed during the December signing period that UT’s was a committable offer. Heupel also watched Hopkins at an Ensworth home basketball game this season.
“Tennessee did a great job recruiting me and I appreciate everything they did for me,” Hopkins said. “(The decision) was just going with my gut feeling. It’s being different. It’s easy to stay in Tennessee and be three hours away from home, say you’re wearing the orange and white. Something about Minnesota just stood out differently to me.”
Reach sports writer Tyler Palmateer at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, formerly Twitter, @tpalmateer83.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Minnesota football lands Justin Hopkins, 4-star DB from Ensworth
