Well, this was certainly unexpected.
Nate Hopkins entered summer camp in 2018 as one of UConn’s leading returning rushers. Monday, Randy Edsall confirmed, the running back has decided to exit the Huskies football program and transfer to an undetermined elsewhere.
Hopkins’ role on the team seemingly served as the trigger for the departure.
“We told him what we thought his role would be, as a short-yardage and goal-line guy,” the head coach said according to the Hartford Courant. “We just try to be honest, and if guys don’t want to do the role that we think, if they think they can have a bigger role somewhere else, God bless them and good luck to them.”
This past season, Hopkins, a three-star 2016 signee, led the Huskies with rushing touchdowns and was second on the team with 343 yards rushing. He averaged just 3.7 yards on his 92 carries, however.
If Hopkins were to move on to another FBS program, the Texas native would likely have to sit out the 2018 season, leaving him with two years of eligibility beginning with the 2019 season. He could also transfer to a lower level and be eligible immediately.