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topicnews · November 9, 2024

UTEP linebacker Dorian Hopkins loves landing in El Paso

UTEP linebacker Dorian Hopkins loves landing in El Paso

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Dorian Hopkins was looking for the usual when he entered the transfer portal last winter as a graduate student at the University of Tulsa.

After not getting as much playing time as he wanted, the linebacker and Memphis native looked for a place where he would have a better chance of seeing the field; He was looking for a coaching staff and a team that believed in him.

More: CUSA football table

He was also looking for something deeper. Hopkins was looking for a home, a place where he could put down roots. He wanted to be part of a new community, both in the locker room and in the city.

As it turned out, Hopkins was looking for El Paso.

“One thing I did well was come here and be open-minded and not shy away from new experiences,” said Hopkins, who is second in Conference USA in total tackles, while leading his Miners into the Sun on Saturday Bowl game go to Kennesaw State.

“That’s one of the things that allowed me to come here and fall in love with this city. Being out here in El Paso is a lot bigger than just coming here to play football.

“Over the spring and summer I had a lot of time to immerse myself in the culture of El Paso and understand what this city means, what this school means to this city. Having the opportunity to put on this blue and orange is a dream come true for me.”

So what does he see in El Paso, a city where he plans to open a gym after he graduates and stay here for the foreseeable future?

“I love El Paso,” Hopkins said. “The people are great, the city is great. This is the best food I have ever eaten in my life. I am grateful. … I’m an El Pasoan.”

This passion for representing UTEP shines through in everything he does. As the fall began, an injury to middle linebacker Jalen Rayam opened a door and the results were spectacular.

Hopkins enters Senior Day on Saturday, his final Sun Bowl game as a player, with 71 tackles in eight games and a team-best two interceptions.

Those numbers rank the 6-foot, 226-pound linebacker second and third in CUSA, respectively.

A player who struggled for any kind of playing time a year ago and began the year on the bench is now one of the best players in the conference.

“When I first came to UTEP, I just wanted the opportunity to play,” Hopkins said. “Thank God I had the opportunity to enter the portal and come to this amazing place.

“I just felt like I had served my time in Tulsa. When the (UTEP) coaching staff first reached out to me – the energy, the courage, the passion they were talking about, a new team coming into this program – they really wanted to turn things around. We all know Rome wasn’t built overnight, but I wanted to be part of that process.”

In some ways, Hopkins transcends his performance. He has become a leader for younger players both vocally and through example.

“He loves ball. He takes his academics seriously. He takes leadership seriously,” coach Scotty Walden said. “He is a great mentor for our young linebackers like Stratton Shufelt. The guys in the room look up to him because of how he handles himself on a daily basis.”

For all he does on the field as a tackling machine, Walden doesn’t begin to describe him.

“His best quality is his attitude,” Walden said. “He wants to get better every day. At meetings he’s constantly taking notes, he’s studying the game, then he goes out and practices really hard.

“He’s stacking days, stacking good habits, now he’s making a lot of plays down the stretch.”

UTEP’s other best defender, safety Kory Chapman, sees this every day.

“I love playing with defenders who have the same attitude as me: win every play and compete,” he said. “He’s also an older guy who has as many years under his belt as I do. It’s great to be with these experienced guys. You can play with them and then teach the younger boys the basics. I love playing with D-Hop; He’s a smart boy.”

Hopkins has waited a long time for this to be his moment in the spotlight Saturday. Through it all, he remained patient, kept working, and kept looking for the right job.

“The process was to stay humble and wait my turn,” he said. “Jalen Rayam suffered a pretty traumatic injury in the first game. I know how hard we all work, we were in the same situation, our last year, last hurrah.

“When I saw him go down, a fire lit up inside me. I mentally prepared myself to be a starter, but I had to keep the next man mentality.”

As it turned out, the next man up was one of the best. Hopkins has laid the groundwork to spend the next part of his life in his new hometown of El Paso.

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X

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