True freshman quarterback Ryan Hopkins has been the talk of the town in Madison . Initially, he seemed doomed to a reserve role in 2026. With a clear starter (Colton Joseph) and two older, more experienced quarterbacks who have Power Four starts under their belt (Deuce Adams, Carter Smith), Hopkins looked like the odd man out. For a three-star, early enrollee freshman, that's normal. But what Hopkins has done since stepping foot in Madison has been anything but normal. Significantly more advanced, mentally and physically, than coaches and media alike even thought possible, the gunslinger has rocketed up the depth chart and is currently neck-and-neck with Adams, the Louisville transfer, for the QB2 role. Yes, the signal-caller who should currently be a high school senior has a real shot at the backup quarterback gig. That's unprecedented in the experience of his position coach Kenny Guiton: “I don’t know if I’ve ever had a high school senior come in and split reps with the twos," he said this spring.…