Following the Civil War, Oregon got a big boost in shoring up a question mark heading into next season.
Former Tigard (Ore.) star A.J. Hotchkins (3-Star/Riverside, Calif.) spent two years at the JUCO ranks following a senior prep campaign that yielded minimal interest from college programs and is now headed back to his home state with a verbal commitment to Eugene.
“Oregon has a little bit of everything. With me being from Oregon, all of my family is up there and that’s great,” said Hotchkins. “The academic support helped, too. And the facilities, the food, everything is top notch. But the staff told me there is a great opportunity for me to come in and play right away. And being a two-year guy that’s what I’m looking for. Depth chart was always the first thing for me.”
At 6-foot-0/230 pounds, Hotchkins could give Oregon its first true “Mike” backer since the likes of Casey Matthews and Kiko Alonso. Expect an early impact from the homegrown talent come 2016.
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Top photo by John Sperry
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Mark Flores, a Salem, OR resident, is a Firefighter/Paramedic and an avid Oregon Ducks supporter. A graduate of nearby Corban University with a Bachelors Degree in English-Journalism, Flores is a Ducks football season-ticket holder (since 2010) with plans of pursuing his masters degree at the U of O. A passionate and knowledgeable Ducks fan with a heavy interest in Oregon athletics and recruiting, Flores, a former lacrosse player, brings a wealth of knowledge of Oregon teams not readily covered by the media.
Flores has over seven years of professional journalism experience, including writing for the Statesman Journal in Salem and holding the position of Sports Editor for the Hilltop News (Corban University). He brings his detailed knowledge of recruiting and athletics to the FishDuck team, and welcomes your feedback.
Author’s Note: “I do not capitalize our rival, “that other school”, nor any other institution outside of our beloved UNIVERSITY OF OREGON. WTD!!!”
Twitter: @MarkDFlores