The Wisconsin Badgers made a big change last week in demoting quarterback Colton Joseph in favor of freshman Ryan Hopkins.
Hopkins is a former three-star who was given the nod following a30-0 shutout loss at the hands of the Iowa Hawkeyes, in which Hopkins was thrown in while the game's score was already settled. While Hopkins’ performance was mixed, overall the Mater Dei product tallied 241 yards through the air and three touchdowns as the Badgers marched to a 31-10 win over Rutgers, marking just their second bowl game under head coach Luke Fickell. Following Hopkins’ strong first start, he was awarded the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award by the conference.
Making an impact 👏@RyanHopkins07 has been named the @B1Gfootball Freshman of the Week!
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— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 9, 2026
What is next for Hopkins?
The Badgers are well past the most difficult stretch of their season. What’s left now are the Maryland Terrapins, the Purdue Boilermakers and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Of those three, the only team realistically still fighting for bowl eligibility is Minnesota, under longtime head coach P.J. Fleck, as the Gophers currently hold a 5-4 record. This could provide the perfect runway for Hopkins to still experience power-conference football without the nation’s toughest teams throwing their punches at him.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin QB Ryan Hopkins wins major Big Ten award after first start
