Commitment focus: Holton Hill

For some time now the Texas Longhorns marketed themselves as “DBU” – Defensive Back University. On Friday, Texas added a commitment from the state’s top corner in Holton Hill to help keep that tradition alive.

Hill, a product of Houston (TX) Lamar, picked the Longhorns after narrowing his choices following his senior season. The Semper Fi All-American selected the Longhorns over Alabama, Baylor, LSU, and Florida State.

Hill has long been considered a Texas lean and nearly silent commit, but the cornerback prospect ventured out after receiving attention from Florida State and LSU. After taking a lot of time to evaluate his choices, Hill chose to stay close to home and represent “DBU”.

Another cornerback with the physical build Charlie Strong and Vance Bedford seem to prefer, Hill is built similar to the new breed of rangy, physical defensive backs now being used to combat bigger physical receivers. Hill will join a very talented secondary class following the pledges of Jamile Johnson, Davante Davis, and Deshon Elliott.

Film Analysis

Hill has a prototype frame at 6’2 180 lbs., with long arms which help him play a physical game near the line of scrimmage. Hill’s arm length allows him to defend a larger area, and he has hands like a wide receiver when he has a chance at an interception. His ball skills are elite and the blue chipper is a threat in the open field once he intercepts a pass.

Hill has clean footwork with smooth change of direction skills and easy acceleration. Hill’s film shows he can play in either man or zone coverage but he seems to relish playing man on an island by himself. A strong tackler who uses proper technique to wrap up and bring his man down, Hill is a hard hitter who closes with great speed for high impact collisions.

Hill also projects as a weapon on special teams, as he plays gunner on the punt coverage team and is a dynamic return man on both punts and kicks. Hill plays with a ton of confidence and certainly backs it up. He is, without question, the top corner in the state.

Final Verdict

Hill is everything a coach looks for in a cornerback prospect and is one of the elite prospects in the state (as is evident from his offer list). Hill’s physical skill and size make him a candidate to play right away and his polished play gives him the high ceiling of an All-American, early round draft pick, and the next great player to come out of DBU.