2025 HERO Sports Group of Five Third Team All-American
2025 Conference USA Co-Defensive Player of the Year
2025 First Team All-Conference USA
As a Redshirt Senior (2025)
The 14-game starter had a monster season for the Owls, with a record shattering 138 tackles, nine tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and an interception... Logged an impressive nine games with 10 plus tackles... Led the team in tackles nine times... Came out of the gate strong against Wake Forest (Aug. 29) with 11 tackles... Led the defense against Arkansas State (Sept. 20) with 14 tackles and two key pass breakups to help secure a home win... Racked up 11 tackles the next week against Middle Tennessee (Sept. 27) to lead the Owls to the third win in a row... Notched 10 tackles against Louisiana Tech (Oct. 9) ... Dominated FIU (Oct. 21) with 12 tackles, including an incredible nine tackles for loss, a QB hit, and two pass breakups... Put up 10 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks against UTEP (Oct. 28) ... The half sack resulted in a safety, which flipped the momentum of the game, propelling the Owls into bowl eligibility for the first time... Amassed eight tackles, a tackle for loss, and a forced fumble against New Mexico State (Nov. 8) ... The forced fumble was the first of his career... Had another 10-tackle game against Jacksonville State (Nov. 15) with 1.5 tackles for loss... Put on a show in the home finale against Missouri State (Nov. 22) with eight tackles, two tackles for loss, and an interception... The third quarter pick was the first of his career and set up the Owls to take the lead on the ensuing drive... Broke the program record for solo tackles in a game against Liberty (Nov. 29) with 12 solo tackles and in total piling up 16 total tackles, helping send the Owls to the Conference USA championship game... Won Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week for his incredible performance... Capped of the season with 12 tackles in the Myrtle Beach Bowl against Western Michigan (Dec. 19).
As a Redshirt Junior (2024)
Played in four games for the Owls at linebacker and started in three … before injuries derailed his season, had 19 total tackles on the season … he had a season-high 13 total tackles against UTSA (Aug. 31) and one pass breakup against San Jose State (Sept. 14).
As a Junior (2023)
Played in four games and received a redshirt ... ended the year with 24 tackles (11 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, one pass break up and four quarterback hurries ... made his first start and KSU debut at Chattanooga (Sept. 9) ... tallied five tackles (three solo) ... registered seven tackles (one solo) against Furman (Sept. 16) ... recorded five tackles (all solo) with one tackle for loss, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry at Charleston Southern (Sept. 30) ... led the team in tackles with seven total (two solo) against Tennessee State (Oct. 7) ... registered a team-high three quarterback hurries and posted 0.5 tackles for loss.
Jackson State (2022)
Played in all 13 games as a sophomore in 2022 … had 51.0 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and one forced fumble … played in eight games as a freshman with 10 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hurry.
High School
Played for head coach Dean Fabrizio at Lee County High School … had over 160 career tackles including 11 tackles for loss and five blocked kicks as a senior … started on 2017 state championship team … was named Georgia 6AAAAAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020.
Personal
Son of Granger Hopson and CaMia Jackson … has two brothers, James and John, and one sister, Zoë … plans to major in civil engineering at Kennesaw State.
