National Signing Day 2016: Meet Early Enrollee ILB A.J. Hotchkins

Two years ago, A.J. Hotchkins was highly regarded as an all-state linebacker out of Portland's Tigard High School, on his way to a D1 scholarship at Wyoming. But he decided to risk that agreement in order to attend junior college and for the opportunity to have larger schools on the West Coast notice his talent.

After two seasons at Riverside City College in California and 200 tackles later, he accepted an offer from Oregon to sign with the Ducks as the third-ranked inside linebacker in the country, signing in December to meet the midyear signing date for junior college transfers to participate in spring practices. He joins WR Dillon Mitchell and LB Darrian Franklin as some of the other early Oregon commits to enroll early in order to attend spring practice.

The national attention for Hotchkins went up again after his second season at Riverside, when he was named the Southern California Football Association Defensive Player of the Year, after recording 101 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception. Hotchkins, a 6'0 240-pound athlete,also fielded offers from Washington State, Arizona, Utah and Arkansas.