Anthony Hill has earned praise from his teammates, but what will his role be in 2023?

When the Longhorns signed one-time Texas A&M pledge and On3 Industry Ranking five-star linebacker Anthony Hill, the Texas program added a disruptive difference-maker to Pete Kwiatkowski‘s side of the ball. Hill brings bona fide athleticism and work ethic to the Longhorn defense, something to be expected from the No. 16 prospect prospect in the nation and a product of Denton’s Ryan High School.

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Hill enrolled early and flashed athleticism and ability few in the program could match, garnering praise from coaches and teammates alike. Hill is destined to make an early impact. The only question that remains is how?

“We’re still figuring that out,” Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday.

Hill’s long term destination is more than likely off-ball linebacker, a position he played regularly in high school. However, Hill provides a level of explosiveness that might place him in a short term role where he attacks offenses more than he reads them. While Sarkisian wasn’t interested in elaborating on Hill’s 2023 assignments, on August 1 Kwiatkowski mapped out some of the options on the table for the the No. 2 linebacker in the 2023 cycle.

“He’s got a nose for the ball,” Kwiatkowski said. “Does not know what he’s doing all the time, but when he makes mistakes he makes them 100 percent, full speed. He just has a knack for finding the ball. He’s got some good players in front of him, so he’s going to be able to learn and not be thrown into the heat of things.

“He’s going to be able to learn piecemeal. For us as coaches, it’s finding that role for him. Like I mentioned earlier, maybe it’s on third-down passing situations where we can get him involved coming off the edge or blitzing, playing to his skill set. We don’t want to throw everything at him. I think he’s in a good position.”

The “good players in front of him” Kwiatkowski alluded to include third-team All-American Jaylan Ford, plus veterans like Jett Bush, David Gbenda, and Morice Blackwell. Hill isn’t going to be tasked with heavy snaps at off-ball linebacker unless he’s ready for it or an emergency arises.

“Our job is to put our team in the best position to try to win a conference championship,” Sarkisian said in reference to Hill. “We’re going to focus on this year.”

For Hill, that entails a role like one mentioned by Kwiatkowski, one where he’s moving forward and using his five-star athleticism to disrupt opponents via the blitz or pass-rush. So far through a handful of practices, Hill’s veteran teammates have seen some of the traits needed to be in that spot.

“He has good get-off, good bend, and a good awareness of where the quarterback is,” Barryn Sorrell said Friday. “He knows how to move around tackles and dirty up the pocket.”

So how could he be used? Texas may not need to look much further than the previous holder of the No. 0 jersey: DeMarvion Overshown.

Last season according to Pro Football Focus, Overshown played 711 standard non-special teams snaps. Over 60 percent of those were at a middle linebacker spot. However, one-third of Overshown’s snaps saw him roam to the edge. Those were typically on third down or in passing situations where Overshown’s tremendous ability to get downhill could be unleashed.

It took several seasons for Overshown to become more proficient at processing the image in front of him as a linebacker. That may keep Hill limited to more situational roles like the ones mentioned by Kwiatkowski.

Hill’s recent reps in those spots have been eye-opening for teammates.

Said Ja’Tavion Sanders, “you see flashes. That’s what you want to see in a young guy because he can have what it takes, he’s just got to get the right mindset, get his body right, and just get right in general.”

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Sanders more than any other Longhorn would know about Hill’s talent. Sanders was a senior for Denton Ryan in 2020 when Hill played both ways as a sophomore. Hill rushed for four touchdowns and recorded 47 tackles on a 5A state championship team. Hill became a predominantly defensive player as his career went on, and Sanders saw things that made it clear they’d share five-star billing.

“Ant’s been the same way since I’ve met him honestly,” Sander said. “He’s always been on point. That young man is a great kid and an even better football player, really.”

Even Sorrell saw a bright future for Hill, a future that could arrive as soon as this season.

“He’s definitely a young guy that I could see playing,” Sorrell said. “He has the mindset to get out there and make plays.”

That type of praise from players who had to go through developmental processes in order to see the field speaks to the impact Hill has already had in practice. The two had no problem lauding Hill during his first training camp, a time in previous years where they had to focus on intricate details to prepare for playing time down the line.

If Hill’s time arrives early in the 2023 campaign, his first as a Longhorn, Sanders can’t wait to watch.

“When he gets his chance I want him to show the world what he really can do,” Sanders said.