2018 Honors – – Next Man In Award, defense . . . 2018 – – Ranked third on the team with 62 tackles . . . saw action in 33-7 win over Northern Illinois as defense allowed just 211 yards total offense . . . collected five tackles vs. NIU, including one solo stops and four assists, including one tackle for loss . . . started at middle linebacker in 13-3 win over Iowa State as defense allowed just 19 net rushing yards and 188 yards total offense . . . recorded career-best eight tackles vs. ISU, with three solo stops and five assists, along with one pass break-up . . . started at middle linebacker in 38-14 win over Northern Iowa as defense allowed just six net rushing yards and 222 yards total offense . . . recorded six assists vs. UNI . . . started at middle linebacker in 28-17 loss to #18 Wisconsin . . . career-best nine tackles vs. the Badgers, including one solo stop and eight assists . . . started at middle linebacker in 48-31 win at Minnesota as defense allowed just 86 net rushing yards . . . recorded five tackles at Minnesota, including one solo stop and four assists before leaving the game due to injury . . . did not see action in 42-16 win at Indiana due to injury . . . did not see action in 23-0 win over Maryland due to injury . . . returned to action in 30-24 loss at #17 Penn State . . . four tackles vs. Penn State, including one solo stop and three assists, with a shared tackle for loss and a fumble recovery in the red zone . . . started at middle linebacker in 38-36 loss at Purdue . . . three solo tackles at Purdue, including one tackle for loss . . . started at middle linebacker in 14-10 loss to Northwestern . . . seven tackles vs. Northwestern, including three solo stops and four assists, along with one pass break-up that led to Iowa interception . . . started at middle linebacker in 63-0 win at Illinois as defense allowed just 216 yards total offense . . . recorded four tackles at Illinois, including three solo stops and one assist, with one tackle for loss . . . started at middle linebacker in 31-28 win over Nebraska . . . five tackles vs. Nebraska, including four solo stops and one assist, with one tackle for loss . . . started at middle linebacker in 27-22 Outback Bowl win over #18 Mississippi State . . . six tackles vs. MSU, including four solo stops and two assists, with a shared tackle for loss.
2017 – – Did not see action in 24-3 win over Wyoming due to injury . . . saw action in 44-41 OT win at Iowa State, but had no statistics . . . did not see action in 31-14 win over North Texas . . . did not see action in 21-19 loss to #4 Penn State . . . did not see action in 17-10 loss at Michigan State . . . saw action in 45-16 win over Illinois, recording one solo tackle and one QB pressure . . . saw action in 17-10 OT loss at Northwestern, but had no statistics . . . saw action on special teams in 17-10 win over Minnesota, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 281 yards total offense . . . saw action in 55-24 win over #3 Ohio State, recording one solo tackle and one assist . . . saw action in 38-14 loss at #6 Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . did not see action in 24-15 loss to Purdue . . . did not see action in 56-14 win at Nebraska . . . did not see action in final two regular season games due to illness . . . saw action in 27-20 Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 21 net rushing yards and 102 yards total offense in second half.
2016 – – Saw action in all 13 games, recording seven solo tackles and four assists, two forced fumbles and one pass break-up . . . saw action in 45-21 win over Miami . . . recorded threee solo stops and three assists vs. Miami, along with one forced fumble and one pass break-up . . . saw action in 42-3 win over Iowa State, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 291 yards total offense . . . saw action in 23-21 loss to North Dakota State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 14-7 win at Rutgers, but had no statistics as defense allowed just one touchdown . . . saw action in 38-31 loss to Northwestern, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 14-7 win at Minnesota, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed just 102 net rushing yards and 268 yards total offense . . . saw action in 49-35 win at Purdue, recording two solo tackles as defense allowed just 47 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 17-9 loss to #10 Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 41-14 loss at #12 Penn State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 14-13 win over #2 Michigan as defense allowed just 201 yards total offense . . . recorded solo tackle and a forced fumble on opening kickoff of the second half vs. Michigan, leading to go-ahead field goal . . . saw action in 28-0 win at Illinois, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just 61 net rushing yards and 198 yards total offense . . . saw action in 40-10 win over #15 Nebraska, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 90 net rushing yards and 217 yards total offense . . . saw action in 30-3 Outback Bowl loss to #17 Florida, but had no statistics.
2015 – – Saw first action of career in 40-10 win at Northwestern, seeing action on special teams with no statistics . . . saw action in 31-15 win over Maryland, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action on special teams in 35-27 win at Indiana, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 40-35 win over Minnesota, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 40-20 win over Purdue, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 28-20 win at Nebraska, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 16-13 loss to Michigan State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 45-16 Rose Bowl loss to Stanford, but had no statistics.
High school honors – – Earned first-team all-state honors as a junior and senior . . . first-team all-conference linebacker as a senior and County Player of the Year . . . first-team all-conference at quarterback and defensive back as a sophomore and junior, while being named County Player of the Year both years . . . Career – – Set Illinois state record for career total yards from scrimmage (11,506) . . . four-year letterman while playing linebacker, quarterback, defensive back, and wide receiver . . . prep team earned state championship in 2012 and reached championship game in 2014 . . . team reached state semifinals in 2011 and 2013, posting four-year record of 46-7 . . . team captain as a junior and senior . . . started at wide receiver and safety as a freshman . . . recorded 106 tackles as a senior with six interceptions and seven forced fumbles . . . on offense rushed 281 times for 2,016 yards and 32 touchdowns, while passing for 1,943 yards and 18 touchdowns . . . recorded 60 tackles and six interceptions as a junior, while rushing 122 times for 822 yards and 28 touchdowns and completing 125-of-187 pass attempts for 2,156 yards and 30 touchdowns, with two interceptions . . . collected 60 tackles and seven interceptions as a sophomore, while rushing 160 times for 1,007 yards and 22 touchdowns and completing 193-of-270 pass attempts for 2,529 yards and 28 touchdowns, with four interceptions . . . as a freshman collected 50 tackles and three interceptions on defense while catching 51 passes for 704 yards and seven touchdowns . . . also lettered for prep basketball team.
Personal – – Born 8/22/96 . . . enterprise leadership major . . . parents are Cheryl and John Hockaday . . . four-year member of prep Honor Roll . . . high school coach was Josh Jostes.