Koy Hopke woke up early for a morning lift on June 15 with 3 missed calls and 2 texts from coaches across the country. The first was a text from Minnesota that came in at 12:01. Before 6:30 am, Koy was already taking calls on his way to the gym. By 11:00 am, Hopke had talked or texted with over 10 coaches. 

The calls and texts slowed a little around lunch so Koy and his brother Kale went to the golf course to take a break. However, the calls picked back up with Koy talking to the Princeton coaching staff on the front nine. Shortly after that, he received a text from Cael Sanderson asking to set up a time to talk. That’s when Koy and Kale (named after the legendary wrestler/coach) stopped golfing to allow Koy to get back to talking to coaches. 

How did Koy describe his emotions on that first day of recruitment? “Excited!” He used that word to describe almost every part of June 15 - waking up to the notifications, fielding every phone call, responding to texts from wrestling legends - all exciting. The only overwhelming part for Hopke was being on the phone with one coach and having a call from another that he’d have to send to voicemail.  While Koy expected calls that first day, he didn’t expect them to be so persistent or for them to come from such a wide variety of coaches.

Why all the hype around Hopke? He is currently ranked #8 in our class of 2024 Big Board and brings an impressive list of accolades with that ranking. In a few weeks, Hopke will travel to Rome, Italy to compete at the U17 world championships as the 110 kg representative for Team USA in both freestyle and Greco. Last month, he won U17 Pan-Am titles in both Greco and freestyle. Hopke also doubled up on Fargo titles last summer in freestyle and Greco and is a two-time Wisconsin state champion. As an athletic and technical heavyweight, Koy is one of the most coveted recruits of his class.

Hopke’s win over Carter Neves to make the U17 Freestyle World Team:

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Any Early Front Runners For Hopke?

While Koy admitted there are a few programs he feels more comfortable with than others right now, he’s keeping his options open to every school moving forward and will take his time in the process. The schools he’s most comfortable with right now: Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota State, Indiana, Michigan, and Penn State. Despite listing those schools, Hopke reiterated he’ll take all of his official visits and won’t be committing any time soon.

One of the factors that might push Koy’s visits and official decision back is his love for and abilities in football. Growing up he said football was always his #1 sport until wrestling “took over” the past few years. However, Hopke is still a talented football player and has gotten recruiting interest with some coaches saying he could play both sports at the next level. Because of his potential in football, Koy might not take many official visits this fall during the football season.

Koy’s decision might not come for some time, but he did list some important features that will influence his choice. First is the connection with his team and coaches. Hopke wants to have a strong connection with both as they’ll “essentially be family for the next 5 years.” After that family environment, academics will play a big role in his decision, and Hopke believes his work in the classroom will get him just as far, if not further, in life than work on the mat. Finally, Koy wants to be in a room that has quality practice partners in the upper weights that will push him to get better. 

Advice For Future Recruits And Their Parents

For many, recruiting can be a whirlwind experience and it was no different for the Hopke’s. For current and future recruits, Koy said it's important to be prepared for the recruiting process and take your time through it so you can make the best choice. Byron, Koy’s dad, joined us on our call and had some important advice for current and future parents going through the process with their kids. While Byron admits he’s still learning, this is his second time going through the process as Koy's older brother Kale will be pitching for North Dakota State starting next year. 

First, Byron said it’s important for student-athletes and parents to be as honest with coaches as possible. Misleading prospective coaches will only cause more trouble later on in the recruiting process. Bryon also shared how helpful it was to talk to other wrestlers and parents who were also going through the process. The Hopke's had this experience at the U17 Pan-Am Championships and it was helpful for them to hear the similarities in their stories. Another major piece of advice might sound simple but is practical - take notes. When talking to so many coaches, it’s often hard to keep track of who said what. A simple notepad goes a long way in helping stay organized. And finally, ask questions. The more questions you ask, the more you’ll learn about the program and whether or not it’s right for you and your family. 

Check out Hopke's win for gold at the U17 Pan-Am Championships:

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