Kingston Lopa

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California#100 overall

Fifth roundConsensus #101 · STM #98 · model is 3 spots higher★★★★ recruitOregon → CaliforniaModel Score 69.2 C+

Updated September 28, 2026

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Scouting Report

Kingston Lopa is the biggest riser of the early 2027 cycle after opening the season with five interceptions in three games, and First and Ten's report frames him as an unusual safety by modern college standards. At 6 foot 5 and roughly 210 pounds he is built nothing like the players around him in the secondary, with long arms and a catch radius that shrinks the windows quarterbacks are trying to hit. The movement profile is what makes the size interesting rather than clumsy: he bends with routes, shows fluid hips for his frame, and closes with real burst when he triggers from depth. Cal moves him around, which both hides his inexperience and shows off what he can do from different alignments. In coverage the recognition and anticipation stand out, and he is often in position before the throw arrives, with soft hands and timing that turn contested chances into takeaways. Against man looks he uses length to disrupt tight ends and bigger receivers, and in zone he covers a lot of ground. The questions are experience and tackling. He barely played before 2026, so the sample is thin, and both technique and lower body strength look like development projects against physical NFL runners. Locked On NFL Draft has already floated him as a potential top 10 pick for 2027 with Kyle Hamilton comparisons, but his projection is still genuinely unsettled. If he buys in as a run defender, the ceiling is a big nickel or single high playmaker who changes the matchup map.

NFL Comparison

What scouts say

Kyle Hamilton is the comparison his tape invites, an oversized safety whose length and range let a defense move him anywhere

Strengths

Rare size for the position at 6 foot 5, 210, with long arms that shrink throwing windows
Catch radius and soft hands turn contested throws into takeaways, five interceptions in his first three games of 2026
Fluid hips and the ability to bend with routes despite the frame
Explosive closing speed when he triggers from depth
Strong route recognition and natural anticipation, often in position before the throw arrives
Reads quarterback eyes well and plays the ball rather than the receiver
Uses length in man to disrupt tight ends and bigger receivers
Covers a lot of ground in zone, which lets Cal align him in multiple spots

Weaknesses

Barely played before 2026, so the evaluation rests on a very small sample
Tackling technique is the clearest developmental priority
Lower body strength needs to come along before he can handle physical NFL ball carriers
In game processing is not yet consistent snap to snap
Length lets him slow bigger receivers and tight ends in man rather than truly cover them
Run defense is the swing skill, and the buy in there is still unproven
Projection remains largely unknown this early, which carries real risk for a top of the board grade

College Stats

2026: 5 INT through 3 games, multiple alignments in Cal's secondary; pre-2026: minimal college snaps

College Market Value

Model Price

$510K

Our model prices him at $510K on the open college market, built from production, pedigree, role and California's program money. No credible deal has been reported for him this season.

Portal: transferred from Oregon to California for 2026.

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