New Mexico Military Institute defensive end Junior Aho told The HillTopics early Sunday afternoon that the weekend trip to SMU was his "first official and last official."

He only needed one official visit to know where his future Power 5 home was.

Aho committed to SMU while on campus, and shortly after arriving back in New Mexico, he confirmed with The HillTopics that he was joining the 2020 class. Aho, originally from Nice, France, is the 15th commitment in the class and is expected to sign Feb. 5, the first day of the regular signing period.

Aho is expected to graduate from NMMI in the spring. Measuring in at 6-3 and 252 pounds while on campus, Aho spoke about the feeling he got upon arriving. A one-time Nebraska commitment, Aho knew that SMU would be a contender in his recruiting process after first getting the offer in January.

"It's great to say I feel at home," Aho said. "I committed while there, and it's home. They really took care of me. Everything was great."

Aho spoke of the connections he made with members of the coaching staff and the players. Defensive end Toby Ndukwe was his player host, but multiple people showed Aho a lot of love while he was there. He was recruited to SMU by defensive line coach Randall Joyner.

"Coach Joyner is young, but he knows the game," Aho said. "Our relationship is real cool. He knows what he's talking about. He's young, so he can relate with us."

Aho continued: "We've had a good relationship. He showed me love even when I was committed to Nebraska."

Aho originally committed to the Cornhuskers on Nov. 26, but he decommitted on Dec. 21. He was offered by SMU on Nov. 14.

SMU is getting a defensive end who is a natural athlete and someone who can come in an earn starter's minutes next season. During his freshman year at NMMI, he recorded 37 tackles (eight for loss), 3.5 sacks and a fumble recovery -- which he returned for a touchdown -- in nine games.

Aho, even at 250-plus pounds, has been clocked in the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, and much of what he does on the field comes from only a few years of playing organized football. He began playing organized ball in 2015. Prior to that, he played soccer, was a boxer and studied a variety of martial arts, including judo and karate.

Before coming to the U.S., he played for the Under-19 French National Team. During the 2018 season, Aho helped NMMI advance to its first-ever Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC) championship game.

Now, he'll have the opportunity to make an impact on the Hilltop.

"For me, every school and every opportunity is a blessing," Aho said. "But SMU is going to be home."