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
Mark Flores, a Salem, OR resident, is a Firefighter/Paramedic and an avid Oregon Ducks fan. Prior to the fire service, Flores, a graduate of nearby Corban University, spent over seven years in professional journalism including a stint at the Statesman Journal in Salem and held the position of Sports Editor for the Hilltop News (Corban). A career transition however never dampened his love of writing and FishDuck is now his source to share his love of Mighty Oregon. Flores brings detailed knowledge of Oregon recruiting to the FishDuck team and welcomes your feedback.