Minnesota committment, 2026 safety, shuts down recruitment after official visit

Minnesota on Tuesday received some good news regarding one of its commitments for the 2026 recruiting cycle.

Justin Hopkins, a safety from Nashville, has been committed to the Golden Gophers since February. Still, he remained a target of several programs, including Arkansas, Colorado, and Wisconsin, who all extended offers in the subsequent months.

But an official visit to Minnesota the weekend of May 30 was enough to convince Hopkins to shut down his recruitment. He announced his decision to do so via a post on X:

AGTG Major thank you to every school, coach, recruiter, that has played apart in this journey for me. All the relationships that were built will forever be cherished. With that being said I will be shutting down all further recruitment. Gopher nation let’s ride. @GophFootball pic.twitter.com/DmQdVQ3lYi

— Justin “J-Hop” Hopkins (@JustinHopkins26) June 4, 2025

Hopkins is rated by 247Sports’ composting rankings as the No. 35 safety in the country. He is also considered the No. 11 overall player in the state of Tennessee.

Minnesota’s class currently ranks No. 18 in the country, according to 247Sports. He is currently the Golden Gophers’ 3rd-highest rated recruit in the class and the seocnd defensive back to pledge.

In 2024, P.J. Fleck’s 8th season with the program, the Golden Gophers posted an 8-5 record and finished tied for 7th in the Big Ten standings. They earned a spot in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Virginia Tech — their 4th straight bowl appearances and 6th overall under Fleck — beating the Hokies 24-10 in Charlotte.