Santana Hopper brings a sense of purpose every day he walks into the Colorado football facilities.

His purpose is his 7-year-old son, who starts second grade this year.

Preparing for his fifth and final year of college football, the 6-foot-2, 265-pound Hooper, a defensive tackle, has been a Group of Six star for multiple seasons. Now he’s ready to cash in with the Buffaloes in the Big 12 in 2026 — and, he hopes, an NFL career after that.

“I had my son very young. I grew up with him, in a sense,” the 22-year-old Hopper said. “When I wake up and it’s time to do things and just work, I think of him and it’s a lot easier to put the hat on and get to work because I know what me and him came from. I know what we had to do to get to this point. It’s just a great driving force.”

That has shown up from the moment he arrived in Boulder last winter.

A Tulane transfer, Hopper began his career at Appalachian State. He was one of the top defensive linemen in both the American Athletic Conference and the Sun Belt Conference the last two seasons, earning first-team all-conference honors in 2024 and 2025.

Hopper last year totaled 31 tackles, including 10.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks, while helping the Green Wave to the College Football Playoff. He ranked No. 1 among defensive tackles in quarterback hits with 12 and No. 3 at his position in quarterback pressures with 39, per Pro Football Focus, which also gave him an 80.2 that ranked near the top among interior defensive linemen who changed schools this offseason.

“Hopper’s a pro,” Buffs defensive line coach Dante Carter said. “He’s gonna be a pro. He has a pro approach. Hopper’s gonna make a lot of plays this year. He’s gonna be a guy for us.”

All of that makes him arguably the top player on CU’s new-look defensive line, especially given the uncertainty over New Mexico State transfer Ezra Christensen’s eligibility for this upcoming season.

“This is really what I’ve been dreaming of, all I’ve been waiting for,” Hopper said. “I played at a high level everywhere I’ve been, so coming to play on a stage like this will only help me and help the team go up.”

Hopper will play a big role in a room that is trying to change the narrative around its ability to stop the run, something that plagued the Buffs defense in 2025. They ranked dead last by a wide margin in the Big 12 in rushing yards allowed per game.

“We’ve been showing a difference in the run game, scheme-wise, mindset-wide, mentality,” Carter said. “Just playing on their side of the line of scrimmage, that’s the biggest thing we’re preaching. Recreating the line of scrimmage.”

Alongside Hopper on the top defensive line unit could be Appalachian State transfer Dylan Manuel, as well as Coastal Carolina transfer Tyler Moore and 375-pound Baylor transfer Samu Taumanupepe, all of whom have impressed Carter this month.

“We’ve got great depth,” Carter said. “We’ve got enough depth that’s gonna get us through the season. Guys are pushing each other. Each of the guys brings a different flavor to the game.”

It all starts with Hopper, though, whose unique blend of run-stopping and pass-rush abilities could be the difference for a CU defense looking to be a strength instead of a hindrance.

“I take a lot of pride in (being versatile),” Hopper said. “If I ain’t doing stuff like that, I don’t feel like I’m playing ball.”