Friday Feature #21: Anthony Hill Jr.
Texas had a massive impact on the 2025 college football season, despite not playing in the College Football Playoff. From opening the season as the #1 team in the country in Columbus to finishing it with a 10-point win over rivals Texas A&M in Austin, the season had it all. There is no question who the biggest name on the offense was, but the biggest name on the defense before the season was Anthony Hill Jr. Every mock draft had him as a Top-20 lock after a dominant 2024 season, but a combination of injuries and inconsistent play has many questioning whether he even belongs in the Top-50 discussion. Check out my detailed scouting report on Hill Jr. below:
Background & Measurables
Name: Anthony Hill Jr.
Year: Junior
Size: 6’3, 235 pounds
Position/Scheme Fit: ILB in a 2-4-5 defense
Hill entered college as a five-star recruit and immediately lived up to the hype, starting immediately as a true freshman. Ranked No. 22 nationally, No. 1 among linebackers and No. 4 overall in the state of Texas by 247Sports, he was originally committed to Texas A&M but flipped to the Longhorns.
A Freshman All-America selection by ESPN, The Athletic and the College Football Network, he played in all 14 games with six starts. During that freshman year, he totalled 66 tackles (40 solo), 8.0 tackles for loss, five sacks, one forced fumble, four quarterback hurries and two pass breakups. That improved even further in 2024 with his best year in college football. He had 15.5 tackles for loss, 8 sacks and 1 interception. For his efforts, he was named a Butkus award Semifinalist. Hill missed the final 2 games of the 2025 season, and overall, it was not his strongest year. He had 70 tackles, forced 3 fumbles, but did reel in 2 impressive INTs against SEC competition. Now he will take his talents to the NFL as one of the most decorated Linebackers in Texas Longhorns history.
Tape watched: Kansas State (2023), Georgia (2024), Arizona State CFP (2024), Ohio State (2025), Kentucky (2025), Georgia (2025).
Detailed Scouting Report
Strengths
1. Flashes insane length and athleticism on tape. Has the versatility to play across the 2nd level and in almost any scheme.
2. Quick to cover up the space. Able to blitz late and put pressure on in a hurry, but can also cover across the sideline either as a 3-4 ILB or 4-3 Mike. Also useful as a QB spy or contain.
3. Plays with excellent closing speed. Much improved in his downhill ability to hit screens and misdirect plays behind the line since his freshman season. Had a very productive 2024, where his tape was reminiscent of a high-end Round 1 player.
4. His play in coverage has remained largely the same, if not improved, despite increasing his coverage reps significantly across his sophomore and junior seasons. Hill Jr. shifts his feet well, and his length is a plus in man coverage when covering TEs over the middle.
5. Has shown some impressive ball skills in 2025. Can cover receivers out to the flat and reeled in 2 great INTs Vs Kentucky and Georgia. Has some coverage upside for sure that will tantalise NFL coaches beyond just his physical traits.
Development Points
1. Can improve his pursuit angles and reading of the game. Slow to react on screen plays at times and runs to get blocked. Goes for ball fakes in option plays too often, so he needs to improve his eye discipline and reaction time.
2. Change of direction overall has room for improvement. Can get caught under the ball in a one-on-one in space, and also struggles in a zone to match the receiver and at least force him to make a tough catch.
3. Prone to taking some bad angles in space. Missed 18 tackles in 2024, and despite a significant improvement on that front in 2025, it continues to be a problem for him as he can be stiff in reacting at the tackle point.
4. Doesn't always play with extreme physicality to blow up blocks on the edge. Can be hesitant to come downhill and really dominate the play physically. He looked to me like he was playing hurt in the 2nd half of the year, so that physicality really dried up.
5. Missed some time during his final year at Texas. Had some notable performances during the year, but didn't really take off and solidify his status as a high-end draft prospect. He will need strong interviews at the Combine to push back into Round 1 consideration.
Conclusion
Hill Jr. was once viewed as the consensus best linebacker in early predictions for the 2026 NFL draft, but has lost ground to the 2 Buckeyes linebackers since last Summer. However, he certainly still has the pedigree and athleticism to be considered among the highest ceiling prospects in the LB group. When healthy, he covers space with extreme athleticism, making it difficult for ball carriers or quarterbacks to avoid him on the field. He does take some questionable pursuit angles and misses his fair share of tackles, and he appeared to play a step slower down the stretch in 2025, indicating he may have been playing hurt. Despite the up and down season, I am still betting on Hill Jr. as a Top 50 prospect who will need some time to develop, but could become an above-average NFL starter.
Grade: 6.7/9.0 (2nd round grade)
Player Comp
Demario Davis
Team Fits
Buccaneers, Colts, 49ers, Broncos, Seahawks