Arkansas RB Rodney Hill explains how NIL agent forced Florida State departure

Speaking to the Arkansas media last week, former Florida State running back Rodney Hill cited a “bad agent” behind his move to Florida A&M, Miami and ultimately the Razorbacks this offseason.

The former Seminoles’ kick returner and No. 3 back in 2023, Hill said Friday he left Florida State after coaches learned an NIL agent had been shopping him around the market before he entered the transfer portal.

Hill, a former three-star recruit, said his parents hired the agent.

“Not many people know, but my parents were running my money and stuff like that,” Hill said. “My parents got a bad agent, and he was texting other schools like he was me, so when that got back to the head coach, I had to leave Florida State.”

A source close to the situation at Florida State told On3 that Hill’s parents had some “wild bugs put in their ear” when it came to the numbers the running back could earn in the portal. Florida State made efforts to keep the tailback but he ultimately hit the transfer portal.

Even then, there was a point where Hill and Florida State tried to reconcile until the NIL agent reached out to a Big Ten program, which then made contact with the Seminoles and cut off the conversation.

“During that time when I had to leave, I wasn’t trying to leave, I didn’t want to leave, so I just had to and the portal was closing up,” Hill said. “Florida A&M was next door, so I just had to go there for a month, find a new place.”

Rodney Hill signed his own NIL representation

During his press conference, Arkansas teammate Ja’Quinden Jackson, sitting next to Hill, confirmed the running back’s experiences in the portal.

Hill has 77 career carries for 334 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also posted five catches for 83 yards in two years with Florida State. He left the Seminoles this past December, committing to Florida A&M and then decommitting after head coach Willie Simmons left for an assistant job at Duke.

The running back committed to Miami in late January before landing back at Florida A&M. He took classes and worked out with the Rattlers and then re-entered the portal in April. Now at Arkansas, Rodney Hill is expected to be a contributor this fall.

He’s also signed his own NIL representation and is now working with Joe Hernandez of Just Win Management.

“I know it’s your parents and stuff like that, but sometimes you’ve got to handle it on your own,” Hill said. “Sometimes, like with my parents, I know they were trying to do the best thing for me, but sometimes you’ve got to take that on your own and got to do it yourself. But to other kids, I’d just say you don’t have to get an agent right now. Just wait.”