Decision Day: Alabama battling Buckeyes for elite Ohio recruit
One of the top uncommitted defenders in the Class of 2025 is set to announce his college decision. Justin Hill, who hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, is celebrating his birthday on Wednesday with a commitment.
The Winton Woods High School recruit is down to four programs. All four of those schools hosted him for official visits in June. He received his first offer in October 2022, so Wednesday will mark the end of a long recruiting journey for Hill.
BamaOnLine has all the details you need to know ahead of Hill’s upcoming announcement.
Date: July 3
Time: Noon Central
Finalists: Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, and USC
Predictions: On3 Sports National Recruiting Experts Chad Simmons and Steve Wiltfong predict Alabama.
Hill’s social media: X (Formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram
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WATCH IT LIVE (On3 Sports Streaming Hill’s Decision)
Both Alabama regimes have prioritized Justin Hill
The pursuit from Alabama’s football program began over a year ago under the previous regime.
Hill received an offer from Nick Saban‘s staff back on June 17 following a camp at the school. He also returned in September for their game against Texas. Interest in the program has been high ever since his first visit.
On Jan. 31 of this year, less than a month after Kalen DeBoer was hired, he was re-offered by the Crimson Tide. Hill made his way back to Tuscaloosa for the A-Day Game on April 13. DeBoer and Company rolled out the red carpet for Hill last month for his middle-of-June official visit.
BOL Round Table: Justin Hill thoughts before his commitment…
“Overwhelmed. I’m overwhelmed with everything,” Hill’s mother, Emily Herzog, told BamaOnLine after their visit. “They were so hospitable. The love that they showed Justin was amazing. It was great. As you know, I’m a big fan of Bama. They are the standard. They have an amazing facility, they offer the best opportunities for their players.
“They really did a great job,” Herzog later added. “I just feel like it’s a family. Leaving now, I feel like we’re leaving home.”
Decision day for four-star edge Justin Hill who says he “figured it out in the last 24 hours”
Oregon and USC are listed as finalists and hosted Hill for official visits last month. But this one is viewed as an Alabama – Ohio State battle. It’s a powerhouse recruiting matchup as the programs occupy the top two spots in the recruiting rankings.
Whoever lands Hill’s commitment today is getting a prized recruit at a premium position. Hill is the No. 52 overall prospect in the country, per On3. He’s also tabbed as the No. 7 EDGE in this class, and the second-ranked player in Ohio.
Following a 10-commitment run in June and a pledge from tight end Kaleb Edwards on Tuesday, Alabama is up to No. 2 in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.
Stay tuned to BamaOnLine for more recruiting coverage and nuggets.
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