Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr shines in his first year on the Forty Acres
When freshman linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. arrived in Austin, he was the highest-rated linebacker the Longhorns had signed in years. By the time the Red River Shootout came around, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound former five-star was already a major contributor. And he hasn’t looked back.
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“I feel good,” said Hill, who is only days away from the Longhorns’ College Football Playoff semifinal in New Orleans. “Just being able to see my work, just being able to be shown on the field. Like my footwork, just kind of my eyes, my footwork, and just how I prepare every week. I feel like that made a big difference. Going off the season when you kind of get a feel for college football.”
One of the biggest boost to his development is that it’s been a family affair. His father, Anthony Hill Sr., played linebacker at Emporia State from 2002-2004. So Hill Jr. has had plenty of lessons on how to play the linebacker position. Then you add coaches, teammates, and a former All-American linebacker in Derrick Johnson to the mix, and you’re essentially building a machine.
“Jaylan Ford, Mo Blackwell, all of them helped become a better linebacker in their own way,” Hill said. ”Derrick Johnson is at a lot of our meetings, every Tuesday and Thursday. I feel like he played a big role. Everybody in that linebacker room and Coach Jeff Choate all played a big role in the success I’m having.”
At what point in the season did Hill feel like the pieces were all beginning to fit?
“It was around the OU game, midpoint of the season,” Hill said. “I felt like I kind of just came down because I felt like I always was kind of ready, but I just needed a lot of little things that I needed to tweak just so I can be able to have a more consistent role playing playing off the ball.”
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One teammate he’s really familiar with is tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, whom he won a Texas high school state championship with at Denton (Texas) Ryan.
“(Sanders) graduated my sophomore year, but we won a state title together in high school,” Hill said. ”I played on both sides of the ball. We had a lot of competitive days with Drew Sanders when he was there. We had a lot of guys they ended up going places at my school. And again, we’ll tell you Sanders never blocked anybody.”
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With his position coach headed to Nevada at the conclusion of the season, Hill spoke about how he’ll miss the Texas linebacker coach and all he’s done for him.
“Of course, coach Choate, that’s my guy,” Hill said. “I’m going miss him.”
