The Minnesota football team picked up a huge win on the recruiting trail on Monday as they landed a commitment from 2026 four-star cornerback Justin Hopkins. Hopkins has an impressive list of offers, and he chose the Golden Gophers over top contenders USC, Tennessee and Georgia Tech. This is big for head coach PJ Fleck and Minnesota as they typically don’t beat out big schools like that for top recruits.
“BREAKING: Four-Star CB Justin Hopkins has Committed to Minnesota, he tells me for @on3recruits,” Hayes Fawcett said in a post. “The 6’0 170 CB from Nashville, TN chose the Golden Gophers over Tennessee, Georgia Tech, & USC.”
Justin Hopkins had a short and sweet message for Minnesota football fans upon his commitment:
“From Cashville to the Twin Cities, Gopher Nation I’m home,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins is a four-star recruit according to 247Sports. He is the #303 player in the 2026 class, the #22 CB and the #9 player in the state of Tennessee. Hopkins currently attends Ensworth High School in Nashville. The Golden Gophers took this prized prospect right out of Tennessee’s backyard, and it could give them some good momentum on the recruiting trail.
Minnesota had some stiff competition here as Hopkins holds offers from a lot of impressive programs. Tennessee, USC and Georgia Tech were the biggest threats, but schools like Auburn, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss and TCU all extended offers to Hopkins as well. At the end of the day, Minnesota was the right fit.
It’s way too early to get concerned about 2026 recruiting rankings, as the 2025 cycle just ended, but it’s important to note that the Minnesota football team is off to a strong start. The Golden Gophers already have four commitments in their 2026 class, and it is currently ranked #30 in the country. Minnesota has commitments from two four-stars and two three-stars.
PJ Fleck is a good football coach, and if Minnesota can find a way to start recruiting a little bit better, they can make some noise in the Big Ten. This past season, we saw Indiana make a surprise run to the College Football Playoff from the Big Ten. The Golden Gophers could be the next team to make a similar run as they have been close a couple of times to a break through season.
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