Hunter Eborn is going to be one highly motivated Highland Ram this football season.

Not only is the senior primarily concerned with helping the Rams defend their 5A state championship, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound linebacker’s football future is at stake.

Eborn was hurt his sophomore season and played behind senior James Ryan a year ago. He still spent time on the field as a junior, but not in a starring role for the Rams as they went undefeated and claimed the school’s 10th state championship on the gridiron.

Still, even with just a partial year of varsity experience, Eborn is drawing college interest from all over the West. He’s picked up offers from Adams State, Union College and the College of Idaho so far.

Those programs are likely just the beginning.

Eborn has visited the University of Utah and will take a trip to Boise State on Aug. 7 to check out the Broncos’ facilities.

He’s also been in contact with Washington State, Utah State, Idaho State, Portland State, Northern Arizona and Montana.

None of those schools have stepped forward with an offer — yet. Everybody wants to see how Eborn performs his final year in high school.

“Basically what they’ve said is that they want me to have a really big senior season,” Eborn said.

Eborn loved what he saw at Utah. He met with head coach Kyle Whittingham, and the Utes expressed a strong desire in him.

“They basically told me they’re really, really interested in me,” Eborn said. “The coach said he wants to see how a little bit of my senior year goes. If everything works out the way he wants it to, they’re going to offer me.”

It’s an exciting time, of course. But it also means Eborn has loads of pressure. So when Highland coaches suggested Eborn move from linebacker to defensive end this season, he was worried how that would affect the recruiting process.

But after talking with the Rams coaching staff, Eborn is convinced switching positions is only going to benefit Highland’s stout defense and his future in football.

When he moves to defensive line, he’ll still stand much of the time, patrol the field in pass protection and have a chance to wreak havoc in the opposing team’s backfield.

“It kind of gives the coaches a little bit more freedom to mix it up and do different things with us,” Eborn said.

And it could spell disaster for Highland opponents. Rams defensive tackle Wayne Kirby has already committed to BYU and sophomore Tommy Togiai could be the next big thing in Idaho high school football.

Throw in an athletic, highly-motivated Eborn and the champs have quite the defensive line brewing.