Hopkins taking charge as Black Knights’ new leading man at QB

WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr. has a different mindset, one that bodes well for the Black Knights.

A year ago Hopkins knew he wasn’t going to see much playing time under center because Ahmad Bradshaw was having a stellar senior season. NowHopkins is the lead man and things have changed.

“You’ve got to take a lot of things a lot more seriously (as the starter),” said Hopkins, who won a three-way competition in preseason camp. “You’ve got to prepare like you’re about to play.”

Five games into the season, Hopkins has demonstrated he’s up for the challenge of leading Army’s triple option. He has quickly matured in his new role as the Black Knights (3-2) chase a third straight bowl game appearance.

“He’s really grown as a player,” coach Jeff Monken said. “He is a talented guy and has done a good job taking care of the ball, giving it to the right people and leading our team. I think our guys believe in him.”

Army’s lone losses have come on the road against teams that have been ranked this fall — Duke in the season opener and Oklahoma, which needed overtime to win. The Black Knights earned a boatload of respect in that one three weeks ago and received a standing ovation from the partisan crowd after the game.

Ball security is emphasized by the coaching staff at West Point because it’s a key to success. The Army offense lost only four fumbles last season and matched an academy record with 10 wins, so there was dismay when Hopkins and the offense got off to a shaky start at Duke, losing two of five fumbles in a 34-14 loss.

“I felt like the first game I got a little bit tired early,” Hopkins said. “My last full game was in high school in 2014. It took me a while to get my wind and calm down.”

In nearly 300 snaps since, the offense hasn’t fumbled and Hopkins has excelled. He has 397 yards rushing to lead an attack that’s averaging 308 on the ground, third nationally, and leads the nation in time of possession, averaging just over 40 minutes. Against Oklahoma , the Black Knights had the ball for 44:41 and ran 87 plays to 40 for the then-No. 5 Sooners, the third-fewest offensive plays for Oklahoma in school history and the fewest since 1960.

“Kelvin’s been doing a great job leading this team,” Army senior linebacker Kenneth Brinson said. “We’re real proud of him.”

What’s different about Army this year is that Hopkins has made the Black Knights more of a threat through the air.