Can Jackson Hopkins Steer DC United Back to Glory? | OneFootball

A rare bright spot in DC United’s 2025 season, Jackson Hopkins could be the latest homegrown star for the Black and Red.

When Jackson Hopkins was born on July 1, 2004, DC United were just a few months away from advancing to their fifth MLS Cup Final, where they would defeat the Kansas City Wizards 3-2 to secure the ultimate prize in American soccer. Having won four of the first nine MLS Cups in the history of the league, all signs pointed to the Black and Red dominating for the foreseeable future.

And while there have been a handful of highs since ’04 — Supporters’ Shield titles in 2006 and 2007, a pair of U.S. Open Cups in 2008 and 2013 — United hasn’t returned to their dynastic ways from the ’90s, even with stars like Wayne Rooney suiting up for them.

2025 presented a new nadir, as D.C. United are currently leading the MLS Wooden Spoon race with one match left in the season.

However, a silver lining to what’s otherwise been a season to forget is Jackson Hopkins, who has emerged as a potentially crucial building block for both present and future.

After starting the year injured, Hopkins has become a key figure in United’s midfield, and he could be set to follow in the footsteps of C.J. Sapong, Michael Lahoud and Kevin Paredes as the latest Northern Virginia native to make a name for himself in MLS.

Born and raised in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Hopkins would develop at the Arlington Soccer Association and the Virginia Development Academy before joining D.C. United’s academy at the age of 14. He spent three years before enjoying a brief stint at New York Red Bulls’ academy in 2021, only to return to DC United that same year.

After impressing for DC’s reserve club Loudon United in the USL Championship with two goals and one assist in 19 appearances, Hopkins would sign a four-year contract with the first team on April 13, 2022, becoming the 18th homegrown signing in club history. Three days later, Hopkins would make his professional debut in a 3-2 home defeat to Austin, playing 89 minutes as a left-sided winger.

Boasting an impressive physical prowess, superb positional awareness, and a maturity beyond his years, Hopkins didn’t take long to make his name on proceedings with 21 MLS appearances and one in the U.S. Open Cup across a turbulent 2022 campaign that saw DC United go through three different coaches. Operating mainly across the frontline, Hopkins enjoyed a seamless transition thanks to his quick feet, change of direction, and ability to ride the contact and keep the ball glued to his laces.

However, the 2023 season would see Hopkins take a step backwards in his development, playing 12 times with the first team and 12 with Loudon. The Virginia native bounced back in 2024 under Troy Lesesne and emerged as a starter in midfield, only for his progress to come to a screeching halt once more, this time due to injuries.

Back issues followed by an ankle injury sidelined Hopkins for most of the back half of the season, and after playing 16 times during the first three months of the campaign, Hopkins would fail to make a single appearance in the final three months.

And when 2025 started, Hopkins might very well have expected yet another injury-plagued season. He underwent right ankle arthroscopic surgery on January 23 after sustaining an injury in preseason, prompting him to miss even more action. He finally returned on May 14 for his first appearance in 287 days, coming on for the final 13 minutes of a goalless draw against New York City FC, before starting the first 45 minutes in a 0-0 draw at Nashville.

Here is where things would turn around for the youngster. When Hopkins replaced Boris Enow with a half-hour remaining in a U.S. Open Cup round of 16 tie vs. Charlotte, DC found themselves in danger of going out of the tournament, down 2-1 in the late stages of the game.

The hosts would equalize in the 86th minute via Garrison Tubbs, only for Tyger Smalls to restore Charlotte’s lead in extra time.

D.C. needed a miracle, and they got it via Hopkins, who drove past a sea of blue shirts before teeing up an unmarked Jared Stroud on the left corner of the box. Stroud delivered a powerful low cross that skirted past two Charlotte players, with ex-Fulham defender Tim Ream being forced to make a last-ditch clearance before it trickled in. But rather than clearing the danger, Ream merely allowed Hopkins to take aim and immediately fire the equalizer into a tight angle with a potent left-footed strike.

It was the second goal contribution of Hopkins’ professional career, having assisted Steven Birnbaum’s goal in a match against Montreal in July 2022. It would not be the final time that he would find the back of the net on that rain-soaked night in D.C., with Hopkins being one of the only three successful spot-kick attempts as D.C. prevailed 2-1 on penalties. While D.C. would end up losing to eventual champions Nashville in the quarterfinals, this match marked a turning point for Hopkins.

At 21, Hopkins has grown into an increasingly important figure in D.C.’s midfield down the stretch, starting in seven of the club’s last eight matches. Under the tutelage of René Weiler, there’s reason to believe that he can evolve into one of the most complete young midfielders in MLS in 2026.

In the five years since Ben Olsen’s decade-long managerial spell was terminated, D.C. have gone through six different coaching changes (interims included), with Weiler taking charge on the back of a six-match losing streak. His first match at the helm would see D.C. open the scoring within a half-hour via Hopkins, only for hosts Montréal to equalize shortly after in a 1-1 draw in Canada.

Including the Montréal match, Hopkins would score in three of the first four matches under Weiler, including draws against Inter Miami and Orlando.

“Scoring is great, but I’d rather have a good performance and not score and help the team as much as I can than score and just kind of be out there the whole game,” said Hopkins to Urban Pitch after the Orlando draw. “It’s important for me to be well-rounded and affect the game in as many ways as I can.”

Hopkins has earned the respect of his teammates with his strong play, and he figures to be a key for the club moving forward.

“I think [he can become a regular scorer for D.C.],” said DC United goalkeeper Luís Barraza to Urban Pitch after the Orlando match. “He’s showed out well…he’s so young, and he’s showed that he can help out in midfield or up top. He’s a top, top player, he has a lot of potential, and I know that one day, he’s going to be somewhere important…or more important I should say.”

If there was a match to sum up DC United’s 2025 season, you could point to a recent matchup against Charlotte FC. In 30 minutes, DC saw two red cards, yet instead of folding, they fought for the remaining hour in the hot mid-afternoon sun. They’d even register more xG than their opponents despite being outmanned. By the time that referee Lorenzo Hernandez blew the final whistle on a 1-0 defeat, the home supporters could at least go home knowing that their players gave it their all.

“I think, other than last week vs. Philadelphia, we’ve been really good defensively,” stated Hopkins to Urban Pitch after the Charlotte defeat. “You saw that tonight even when we were down two guys. I thought the first 20 minutes before the red cards, we were the better team. They weren’t getting anything in our half, and we were pressuring them a lot.

“We’re creating a lot of chances with [Weiler] and not giving up as many. That’s how you win games — create stuff and don’t give up stuff. That’s what we’ve been doing with him, and that’s just after seven games, so I think preseason and next season will be even better.”

D.C. will be looking to put an end to their three-match losing streak as they travel to Atlanta United on October 18 for their season finale.