Why 4-star Jarcoby Hopson included Ole Miss football, Mississippi State in top 8

Four-star linebacker Jarcoby Hopson has narrowed his college football choice to eight schools, with Mississippi State and Ole Miss making the list.

The Class of 2025 Lake Cormorant standout's list includes Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Miami, Texas A&M, LSU, Texas, Auburn and Arkansas.

Hopson said these eight schools have been with him since the beginning of his recruitment, with programs he visited having a great atmosphere.

"Those are my top eight because they been with me since my recruitment started," he said. "Those schools had some of the best fans, facilities and I can see myself playing at one of them schools one day."

Having a hard decision ahead of him, the linebacker wrote on social media, "You only can choose one," with emojis to match.

Hopson, who rotates between linebacker and strong safety, is the No. 1 linebacker and the overall No. 5 recruit in Mississippi, according to the 247Sports Composite. Hopson said he kept Ole Miss on his list because the Rebels were one of the first to recruit him, and Mississippi State because it's a great linebacker school that's produced great players.

Hopson included seven SEC schools, but Miami is the lone program from the ACC that caught his eye.

"What stood out about Miami was the atmosphere, the vibes and the bond I made with most of the coaches," he said. "Miami is beautiful and a nice place, and a lot of great legends came from Miami."

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Hopson produced 71 tackles in nine games played last season and 785 rushing yards with eight touchdowns.

Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion-Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jarcoby Hopson football recruiting: Ole Miss, Mississippi State in top 8