Hoffman was born in Gainesville, Florida, the son of Charlotte and Robert Hoffman, and moved with his family to Madison, Alabama when he was seven. He has one younger brother, Chris, and two younger sisters, Ashley and Lauren. He discovered his passion for dancing after seeing Michael Jackson's Thriller. He briefly attended Alabama School of Fine Arts. He made his acting debut in 2003, on an episode of the television series American Dreams. He had minor roles as a dancer in several films, including From Justin to Kelly, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, Coach Carter and You Got Served, for which he shared an American Choreographer Award. Hoffman has worked as a dancer with Christina Aguilera, Usher, Mýa, Marilyn Manson, Ricky Martin and Svetlana, serving as his dance double in a music video. He has also written, directed, and starred in several short skits, most notably Kinetsu Hayabusa: the urban ninja, in which he dresses in a black ninja outfit and performs stunts around a city (to the fright of passers by). The name Hayabusa is a reference to the Hayabusa ninja clan of the Ninja Gaiden games. These skits have garnered him a large fan following.

He appeared in the TV show Quintuplets and was a cast member on the FOX drama Vanished. Hoffman's first major film role is in the 2006 comedy, She's the Man, starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum, the latter with whom he is good friends. He was also a castmember on MTV's Wild 'N Out, and appeared as a guest on America's Next Top Model. In 2008, he starred in the film Step Up 2 the Streets as Chase Collins, a talented dancer at the Maryland School of the Arts and acted alongside Briana Evigan. He will also star in the movie They Came from Upstairs, alongside Disney Channel star, Ashley Tisdale. On June 1, 2008, Hoffman received a 2008 MTV Movie Award along with costar Briana Evigan for "Best Kiss" in their 2008 movie "Step Up 2:The Streets" where in a highlight of the show they accepted the award by sharing a kiss on stage similar to the one they shared in the movie.