Another day, another blue-chip commitment for Eli Drinkwitz.

As the spring transfer portal window closed on Tuesday, Drinkwitz and his staff were busy closing down the recruitment of yet another blue-chip prospect from the state of Missouri. Just a few miles to the southeast of Columbia, four-star defensive end Daeden Hopkins committed his college career to Mizzou.

Hopkins is the latest four-star addition to a 2025 recruiting class that is already full of them. He’s also the fifth commitment in the past week.

Get to know: Daeden Hopkins

Hometown: Hermann, Missouri

High School: Hermann

Position: DE

Ht/Wt: 6’6”, 210 lbs

247Composite Ranking: 0.8940, 4-star

On3 Ranking: 89.24, 4-star

Rivals Ranking: 5.7, 3-star

Total announced offers: 7

Offers to note: Kansas State, Iowa State, Penn State

Hopkins greatest asset as a pass-rusher doesn’t take long to see: he’s freaky fast. Sure, he may be on the slighter side at 210 pounds, but he’s consistently in the backfield before the play can even develop, mostly because he’s moving at a different speed than the rest of the game. He’s got a beautiful hesitation move that gets his opponents flat-footed before he blows by them, so he doesn’t have to use his hands all that much. But his length also creates a problem for opposing QBs, meaning he can disrupt the backfield in multiple ways. He’s got quite a bit of physical development ahead of him, and you’d love to see what he can do after a year or two in the weight room. In a best-case scenario, Hopkins could be the next electric edge rusher to come through DLine Zou.