A day after celebrating its senior class, the University of Hawaii football team secured a part of its future, receiving a commitment from the defensive leader of a top junior college program.

Justin Sinclair of College of San Mateo attended the Rainbow Warriors’ 31-25 victory over UNLV on Saturday, and then pledged to return as a scholarship player in January. Tim Tulloch, CSM head coach, confirmed Sinclair’s commitment. The first day of the NCAA’s early-signing period is Dec. 21.

“Really high IQ football guy,” Tulloch said of 5-foot-10, 190-pound Sinclair. “He’s a competitor. He’s physical. He can run and hit. He’s a leader of our defense. He’s a captain for us. He’s an outstanding ballplayer and outstanding young man.”

Several former CSM players have played for the Warriors, including offensive lineman Ray Hisatake, linebacker Francis Maka, cornerback Calvin Roberts and quarterback Dru Brown. UH rush end Demarii Blanks, who is sitting out this season after suffering injuries in an accident, and backup long-snapper Scotty Atkinson are former Bulldogs.

“When (Sinclair) initially got offered by UH, we talked a lot about UH,” Tulloch said. “I talked a lot about (head coach Timmy Chang’s) vision and the direction, and the men who are looking to build something. He has an opportunity to be part of something special. … The pride of the program at UH, there are a lot of similarities between the UH program and ours. I thought he’d fit well and be part of fostering the change that Timmy wants.”

The Warriors ended a four-game losing streak with their stand against UNLV on Saturday. The Warriors overcame two lost fumbles in the fourth quarter. Jordan Murray, who has had an uneven season as a receiver and tight end, fielded two onside kicks. The Warriors, who are 3-9 overall and 2-5 in the Mountain West, finish the regular season with Saturday’s road game against San Jose State.

“It’s a hard attention to detail on San Jose,” Chang said of the Warriors’ pursuit of their first road victory this season. “Think about how we lost to Colorado State and San Diego State on the last drives. Those are tough pills to swallow.”

Chang said he wishes there would be more games after this week’s trip. “The more you play, the more you know they’re going to get better,” Chang said. “You kind of want to keep playing. You want to go out there and see how much you can grow.”

Chang said his players have remained determined despite the record. He likened it to a UFC fighter who keeps battling despite being way behind on points.

“You love fighting,” he said. “You get your butt kicked, but you’re getting back up. That’s the biggest lesson, right? You get your butt kicked, but you keep standing up and you keep going at it. And that’s what I see in this team. They want to keep fighting. That’s what they want to do.”