Anthony Hill Jr. LB Texas | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Anthony Hill Jr. LB Texas
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
PLAY STYLE: MULI-ROLE LB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Updated: 05/06/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Draft Year: 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
40 time: 4.50 seconds (94%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Age: 20.3 DOB: 02/14/2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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PLAY STYLE: MULI-ROLE LB | |
Last Updated: 05/06/2025 | |
Draft Year: 2026 | |
40 time: 4.50 seconds (94%*) | |
Age: 20.3 DOB: 02/14/2005 | |
SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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Overall Rating: | 88.3 / 100 | |
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Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
Offense Rating: |
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80% |
Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
Tackling: |
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78% |
Pass Rush: |
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75% |
Run Defense: |
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86% |
Coverage: |
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75% |
DRAFT PROJECTION:
1st - Top 10
Overall Rank:
#10
Position rank:
#1
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College Games: 29 College Snaps: 1362 | ||
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Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
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Jihaad Campbell - Alabama |
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85% |
Trenton Simpson - Clemson |
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84% |
Jamin Davis - Kentucky |
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83% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Born and raised in Denton, Texas, Anthony Hill Jr. arrived at the University of Texas as one of the nation's most coveted defensive recruits. A consensus five-star talent who ranked among the top 25 players nationally across all recruiting services, Hill dominated at Ryan High School, compiling an eye-popping 303 tackles and 13 sacks over his prep career while helping lead his team to a perfect 15-0 record and 5A Division 1 state championship in 2020. His athletic versatility extended beyond the gridiron, where he also showcased his explosiveness on the track as part of Ryan's 4x400m relay team that captured silver at the state championships.Hill wasted no time making his presence felt in Austin, earning FWAA Freshman All-American honors and sharing Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year accolades after a debut campaign that included 66 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks across 14 games. His breakout performance came in Texas' signature victory over #3 Alabama, where he recorded 6 tackles, 2 TFLs, and 2 sacks, including one on the Crimson Tide's final offensive play to seal the upset. That early success proved merely an appetizer for what was to come, as Hill exploded in his sophomore campaign with the Longhorns' transition to the SEC.
The 2024 season saw Hill cement his status as one of college football's most dominant defenders, racking up 107 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks while starting all 16 games during Texas' College Football Playoff run. His disruptive presence earned him Second-Team All-American recognition from multiple outlets and established him as the heartbeat of a defense that helped the Longhorns compete for a national championship. Most impressively, Hill delivered in the biggest moments, including an 11-tackle, 3.5-TFL, 2-sack masterpiece against Oklahoma that earned him Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Possesses exceptional lateral quickness and acceleration, allowing him to cover ground from sideline to sideline with the speed of a safety but the hitting power of a traditional middle linebacker.
- Shows advanced instincts, diagnosing run plays, consistently beating blockers to the spot and knifing through traffic with remarkable efficiency to find the ballcarrier.
- Brings the thunder as a tackler, striking through his target with explosive hip rotation and delivering bone-rattling hits that create highlight-reel moments and demoralize opposing offenses.
- Displays natural pass rush talent with an array of moves, demonstrating the versatility to win with speed around the edge or power through the interior on well-timed blitzes.
- Consistently delivers in clutch situations, as evidenced by game-clinching plays against Alabama as a freshman and his dominant performance against Oklahoma, showing he elevates in the spotlight.
- Shows a rare knack for creating turnovers with four forced fumbles against SEC competition, using precise hand placement to target the football while completing tackles.
- Processes information at elite speed, rarely taking false steps or getting manipulated by misdirection, allowing him to play faster than testing numbers would suggest.
- Demonstrates surprising coverage awareness for a downhill thumper, showing fluid hip turn in zone drops and consistently getting proper depth in his landmarks.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Can occasionally overpursue running plays, allowing cutback opportunities when he commits too aggressively to his initial read without maintaining gap discipline.
- Shows some struggles disengaging from longer, more powerful offensive linemen who can lock onto his frame and control him once they establish contact.
- Man coverage skills remain a work in progress, particularly against quicker receiving backs who can create separation with sudden breaks in their routes.
- Tends to rely more on athleticism than technique when taking on blocks, sometimes attempting to run around rather than through engagement points.
- Could stand to improve hand placement and leverage when operating in confined spaces, occasionally getting caught upright when navigating through interior traffic.
Scouting Report: Summary
Hill brings a rare combination of downhill thumping and sideline-to-sideline range that will translate immediately at the next level. The film shows a linebacker who plays with controlled violence and instinctual feel beyond his years - traits that consistently allowed him to be the best player on the field in crucial SEC matchups. Whether it's sniffing out screen passes before blockers can set up or timing his blitzes to perfection, Hill has that sixth sense of knowing where the football is going before offensive players do. His performance against Oklahoma showcased everything that makes him special: diagnosing plays instantly, shooting gaps with explosive quickness, and finishing with bone-rattling hits that changed the game's complexion.Defensive coordinators running hybrid schemes will fall in love with Hill's versatility. He's got the physicality to stack and shed against interior offensive linemen on early downs while possessing the fluidity to drop into coverage and make plays on the ball. What truly separates him from other linebackers in this class is his blitzing prowess - he has natural pass rush skills with dip and bend that many edge defenders would envy. When Hill comes on a delayed blitz, quarterbacks start hearing footsteps. His game reminds me of a more athletic Demario Davis with the way he can impact all three phases of defense without needing to come off the field in any situation.
The tape doesn't lie - Hill is a day one starter who should land in the top dozen picks. His speed at 235 pounds gives him a truly elite athletic profile that defensive coaches will weaponize from multiple alignments. While he could stand to add a bit more mass to his frame, his vicious tackling technique and natural leverage help him play bigger than his size. Any defense looking to inject immediate playmaking ability and swagger into their linebacker corps should sprint to the podium if Hill is available. He's a culture-changer who plays with the kind of edge and killer instinct that elevates an entire defensive unit. Don't overthink this one - Hill has future Pro Bowler written all over him.
How other scouting services rate Anthony Hill Jr. (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
10.3
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
1.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.