Dierre Hill Jr., Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year, Commits to Oregon
Dan Lanning and the Ducks continue reeling in elite talent. 2025 Belleville (IL.) Althoff Catholic running back Dierre Hill Jr. has committed to Oregon. He announced his decision over an Instagram livestream Friday afternoon.
Hill picked the Ducks over competing offers from schools like Ole Miss, Ohio State, Illinois and Missouri among others.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound back is rated a four-star (91.99) recruit according to the On3 Industry Ranking. The same system ranks him the No. 140 player nationally, the No. 6 athlete and the No. 5 prospect in Illinois for the 2025 cycle.
As a junior in 2023, Hill ran for 1,788 yards on 131 carries (13.6 YPC) and 25 touchdowns. He caught nine passes for 163 yards and one touchdown. His versatility was on full display throughout the year, as he also contributed on defense and special teams for the Crusaders, logging 32 tackles while returning two interceptions and two kickoffs for touchdowns.
Oregon was the overwhelming favorite to land Hill heading into Friday’s decision, as the Ducks held all four of the picks on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) from Steve Wiltfong, myself, Justin Hopkins and Chad Simmons.
Hill is the first running back and seventh overall commitment for the Ducks in the 2025 recruiting class. He’s the second prep commitment in the last week for Dan Lanning and company, who landed elite linebacker Nasir Wyatt out of Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei last week.
Nasir Wyatt on Oregon commitment: ‘Everything Lanning’s saying is real’
The Illinois standout is also the first commitment for new running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples, who joined the Oregon staff during spring practice after spending last season on Kenny Dillingham’s staff at Arizona State. Hill visited for the Oregon Spring game and quickly built a strong connection with Samples.
“I’m very blessed to be able to read energy, and I got a good vibe from him,” Hill told ScoopDuck following the trip. “I was just glad to get down there just to see what coach had to offer for me as a running back.”
Oregon’s recruiting class continues to add blue-chip talent and with a large slate of top 2025 targets set to descend on Eugene for official visits in June.
