Tag: Deacon Hill

WATCH: Former Wisconsin quarterback impresses in first sequences of Week 2 vs. UNLV

WATCH: Former Wisconsin quarterback impresses in first sequences of Week 2 game

Former Wisconsin quarterback Deacon Hill added another highlight to his Utah Tech tenure in his Week 2 match on Saturday.

Pitted against the Mountain West’s University of Nevada-Las Vegas on the road, Hill launched a 64-yard touchdown pass to tight end Alec Burton down the middle of the field to knot the contest at seven apiece.

Utah Tech’s sidelines erupted in celebration for Hill’s second touchdown of the young slate.

The Trailblazers would ultimately drop the game 72-14 after allowing 44 points in the first half. Nonetheless, Hill finished with a respectable 14 completions for 188 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

The Santa Barbara, California, native also rushed four times for two yards.

Hill, who represented Wisconsin from 2021-22, made his Utah Tech debut on Aug. 31 against No. 4 Montana State at home. In that contest, Hill rushed for a 24-yard touchdown for the Trailblazers’ only score of Week 1.

The 6’4”, 258-pound quarterback has thrown for a combined 292 passing yards on the season on 25 total completions.

Before transferring to Utah Tech in May 2024, Hill played in nine games for Iowa in 2023 and recorded 122 of 251 passing for 1,152 yards and five touchdowns.

Utah Tech will square off against Northern Arizona on Sept. 14 at home.

WATCH: Former Wisconsin quarterback scores impressive touchdown for Utah Tech

WATCH: Former Wisconsin quarterback scores impressive touchdown for Utah Tech

Former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Deacon Hill scored a highlight reel touchdown for Utah Tech on Saturday.

Hill, who represented Wisconsin from 2021-22, made his Western Athletic Conference debut with Utah Tech against No. 4 Montana State at home. Trailing 31-0 in the fourth quarter, the former Badger flashed some sneaky speed before reaching for the pylon.

The 24-yard touchdown was the only score for Hill’s squad on Saturday, and the Trailblazers ultimately fell to the Bobcats, 31-7, in their season opener.

Hill completed 11 of his 23 passing attempts for 104 yards, including a 37-yard strike, through the air. The Santa Barbara, California, native also rushed twice for 25 yards and the score.

https://twitter.com/UtahTechFB/status/1830104365442744762

Before transferring to Utah Tech in May 2024, Hill started nine games for Iowa in 2023 after Cade McNamara suffered a leg injury. During those nine contests, Hill registered 122 of 251 passing for 1,152 yards and five touchdowns.

Despite being a Badger for multiple seasons, Hill played in just one game and did not make a passing attempt.

The four-star high school prospect never reached his ceiling in college football, but his late burst with Utah Tech could make him a valuable asset in the WAC for the remainder of the season.

Four former Wisconsin quarterbacks will start elsewhere in 2024

Four former Wisconsin quarterbacks will start elsewhere in 2024

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo have discussed building a ‘quarterback factory’ at Wisconsin.

That ‘factory’ would include a strong high school recruiting pipeline at the position, star players at the college level and an increased level of professional-caliber players.

Related: Ranking the biggest storylines entering Wisconsin’s Week 1 contest vs. Western Michigan

It’s early, Fickell and Longo are only entering their second season at the helm. But it’s safe to say Badgers fans are still waiting for results in the ‘quarterback factory’ department.

Of course, Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke is expected to be the first in the line of strong play at the position. Former SMU transfer Tanner Mordecai was expected to be that in 2023, but an injury and inconsistent play made that not the case.

Wisconsin’s method of taking one-year transfers while building up its high school recruiting base will need a further deep-dive after the season. An initial thought is the high school recruiting results have not been impressive at the position. But it’s reasonable to counter that better on-field results with Van Dyke in 2024 will help that cause.

Along these lines, it’s worth mentioning that four former Wisconsin quarterbacks are set to start elsewhere in 2024. Graham Mertz at Florida, Nick Evers at UConn, Deacon Hill at Utah Tech and Myles Burkett at Albany.

All three will do so under different circumstances. Mertz transferred to Florida after the 2022 season, Hill also left during the coaching transition, Evers left for UConn this spring after getting buried on the depth chart and Burkett recognized his chance to start would be at a lower level.

None of these four are indictments on Wisconsin’s vision at the position, except maybe Evers who was a blue-chip transfer addition by Fickell and Longo during the 2022 offseason.

But having numerous former players starting at quarterback at other schools will hopefully not be the case moving forward. Wisconsin is working to create a pipeline of high school recruiting to the field in Madison, not to the field elsewhere.

Again, Evers, Hill and Burkett were never in line to start for the Badgers. And Mertz’s transfer made sense given the circumstances. Wisconsin is likely in better shape with Van Dyke under center than any of the four teams listed.

Still, it would be better for the Badgers long-term to not have a large collection of players starting elsewhere.

It will be interesting to watch how all four perform in 2024, how Van Dyke does in his one year with the Badgers and what Wisconsin does recruiting at the position moving forward.

This will be a topic that we revisit during the offseason.

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Former Wisconsin quarterback transfer commits to Utah Tech

Former Wisconsin quarterback transfer commits to Utah Tech

Former Wisconsin quarterback Deacon Hill committed to Utah Tech on Saturday.

Hill re-entered the transfer portal on April 23 after spending the 2023 season with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Related: Updated 2024 Wisconsin football game-by-game predictions after spring practice

The Santa Barbara, California native originally joined the Badgers as a three-star recruit in the class of 2021. He was ranked as the No. 493 player in the class, No. 39 quarterback and No. 40 recruit from the state of California.

Hill spent 2021 and a portion of 2022 on Wisconsin’s bench behind starter Graham Mertz. He and many others entered the transfer portal in October 2022 after the Badgers fired head coach Paul Chryst.

The quarterback then committed to Iowa, where an injury to starter Cade McNamara thrust him into the starting role for a large chunk of last season. He led the Hawkeyes to a 6-1 record in his first seven games as starter, including a win over Wisconsin, and clinched a trip to the Big Ten Championship. Luck did run out in December, however, as the Hawkeyes lost both the conference title to Michigan and its bowl game to Tennessee.

Related: Big Ten football 2024 season win-loss record predictions for each team after spring practice

The veteran quarterback now joins a Utah Tech program that competes at the FCS level in the United Athletic Conference. The program presents an opportunity for Hill to see the field with Iowa welcoming back McNamara and transfer QB Brendan Sullivan.

Hill hasn’t been with the Badgers since 2022. But his move is part of 10 of the 21 players in Wisconsin’s record-breaking class of 2021 that have entered the transfer portal or left the sport entirely. The only members of the class still in Wisconsin’s starting lineup are OT Riley Mahlman, S Hunter Wohler, LB Darryl Peterson, CB Ricardo Hallman and LB Jake Chaney.

The group’s struggles are somewhat correlated to the end of the Paul Chryst era at Wisconsin — making the class interesting to track as each recruit finishes their college career.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

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Iowa Hawkeyes QB Deacon Hill entering NCAA transfer portal

Iowa Hawkeyes QB Deacon Hill has announced he is entering the NCAA transfer portal after playing last season. He was the backup this spring.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have another departure to the NCAA transfer portal. Quarterback Deacon Hill has announced that after spending one year at Iowa, he is entering the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining.

Deacon Hill, who spent one year with the Wisconsin Badgers, joined Iowa before the 2023 season. He was thrust into action following a Cade McNamara torn ACL. Hill started the final nine games for Iowa. He had a 6-3 record as a starter.

“Iowa, you have given me one of the best years of my life. I have built some of the most important relationships in my life and I am eternally grateful for that. This program has taught me so much about life and given me experiences that I will carry on for a lifetime. I am so thankful to have been able to learn from Coach Ferentz, Brian, Coach Bud, and the entire coaching staff,” Hill said in his personal statement.

Hill was playing the role of a game manager for Iowa in a tough situation with an offense that was already anemic. He was 122-251 (48.6% completion), for 1,152 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions in his action.

Hill, the backup QB all spring, now leaves the Hawkeyes with questions. Cade McNamara is listed as the starter but was looking a ways away from being in game shape. That leaves Marco Lainez as the new backup with Tommy Poholsky as the third string.

This move may force the Hawkeyes’ hand to look at the transfer portal this spring for quarterback help, be it someone to push this room and become the starter or a backup that has experience to provide.

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Former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback re-enters transfer portal

Former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback re-enters transfer portal

Former Wisconsin Badgers and Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Deacon Hill has re-entered the transfer portal, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.

The veteran quarterback started nine games for the Hawkeyes in 2023, leading the team to a 6-3 record while completing just 48.6% of his passes for 1,152 yards, five touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Related: An updated list of Wisconsin basketball’s transfer portal targets

Hill transferred to Iowa after two years at Wisconsin. He originally joined the Badgers as a three-star recruit in the class of 2021, then spent 2021 and most of 2022 at Wisconsin before entering the portal after the Badgers fired head coach Paul Chryst.

He committed to Iowa for the 2023 season and was slated to be the Hawkeyes’ backup until starter Cade McNamara suffered a leg injury early in the season.

Hill surprisingly led the team to a 6-1 record in his first seven games including an upset win at Wisconsin. Luck did run out for the Hawkeyes down the stretch of the season, but Hill did what was asked for the program’s defense-first approach.

The veteran was slated to again be the backup in 2024 with McNamara back for a final collegiate season. He enters the portal with two years of eligibility remaining.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

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ESPN gives final QB transfer grades for Iowa’s Cade McNamara and Deacon Hill

The quarterback play for the Iowa Hawkeyes was tumultuous in 2023. ESPN has given their final QB grades for Cade McNamara and Deacon Hill.

 

The Cambridge Dictionary’s definition of the word tumultuous is pretty accurate when describing the quarterback situation for the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2023: very loud, or full of confusion, change or uncertainty.

It was very loud. There was a cacophony of commentary about the position’s play.

The quarterback room was also very full of confusion, change and uncertainty. Cade McNamara’s injury led to change, and the play of Deacon Hill led Iowa fans to confusion and uncertainty.

Both of the quarterbacks were brought into Iowa via the transfer portal. ESPN has provided its grades for every quarterback who transferred this past year. The Hawkeyes did not pass the test.

In their end-of-the-year grades, Deacon Hill graded out as a D quarterback.

Deacon Hill, Iowa Hawkeyes

Transferred from: Wisconsin

2023 stats: 1,152 passing yards, 5 TD passes, 8 interceptions, 2 rushing TDs

Midseason grade: Incomplete

Final analysis: Hill had a surprisingly significant role, as he took over as Iowa’s starter after Cade McNamara’s injury and helped the team to a Big Ten West Division title and 10 regular-season wins. Like all members of Iowa’s offense, Hill had some difficult moments, as the team didn’t score against Michigan or Tennessee in its final two games, and he fell shy of 100 passing yards in four starts. Hill had efficient performances in wins over Northwestern, Rutgers and Illinois, but the consistency and tangible improvement didn’t show up down the stretch. – Adam Rittenberg, ESPN

Hill struggled all year. He often overthrew receivers and had a head-scratching tendency for turnovers, something Kirk Ferentz hates. Overall, Hill entered a very hard situation and didn’t see much success.

Cade McNamara fell into the “incomplete” category of the grades due to his injury, although he was a D-plus grade at midseason.

Cade McNamara, Iowa Hawkeyes

Transferred from: Michigan

2023 stats: 505 passing yards, 4 TD passes, 3 interceptions

Midseason grade: D-plus

Final analysis: Unfortunately, McNamara’s evaluation hasn’t changed much from the first one, as an ACL tear Sept. 30 against Michigan State ended his season. He hadn’t made the immediate impact Iowa had hoped, completing only 51.1% of his passes with just 42 passing yards against Penn State in his final full game before the injury. He didn’t complete better than 56.7% of his passes in any full game. Iowa’s offensive woes went way beyond McNamara, as other key injuries and the lack of development at certain positions led to more historically low production. But McNamara will be looking for better health and overall play in 2024. – Rittenberg, ESPN

McNamara’s injury limited him to less than half of the season rendering him a tough quarterback to fairly grade. That said, he was not trending toward a passing grade based on the play we did see.

McNamara is slated to be the starter in 2024 if he recovers fully and properly from his ACL tear. McNamara will be paired with a new offensive coordinator, but will need to dramatically improve.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

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A former Wisconsin QB is 6-1 as a starter in the Big Ten this year

A former Wisconsin QB is 6-1 as a starter in the Big Ten this year

One of the stories of Wisconsin’s first offseason under head coach Luke Fickell and Phil Longo was the turnover in the quarterback room. Out went Graham Mertz, Deacon Hill and others. In came Tanner Mordecai, Nick Evers and Braedyn Locke.

It was one of Fickell’s focuses as he started to build his program.

Well, the results have been mixed in year one. Mordecai battled a hand injury and has been fine, while Locke has shown some promise in limited action. The quarterback room has reflected the team as a whole: brilliant at times, yet painfully inconsistent.

Meanwhile, a former Wisconsin quarterback is winning at an impressive clip. That is Iowa Hawkeyes starting quarterback Deacon Hill, who improved to 6-1 as starter after today’s 13-10 win over Nebraska. Hill was a four-star recruit in Wisconsin’s class of 2021 and appeared in one game as a Badger before transferring to Iowa last offseason.

Are his numbers great this year? No. They’re actually quite awful. 49.7% completion, 882 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions in seven starts. And that leading an offense that barely cracks 18 points per game.

But as we’ve learned with this Iowa team, the offense can be atrocious and the defense and special teams can still win games. Today was a fantastic test of that, as Hill threw a back-breaking last-minute interception with the game tied at 10.

What happened next? Well, obviously Nebraska QB Chubba Purdy answered with an interception of his own which set Iowa up for a game-winning field goal to improve to 10-2 on the season.

Iowa, as we all predicted, will face the winner of Michigan vs Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship in a few weeks.

Iowa’s Deacon Hill pitches football while falling to avoid safety

Iowa nearly coughed up a safety to Nebraska as its QB Deacon Hill tripped himself

The safety, as CBS’ broadcasters commented, would have been perfect for the difference in Iowa-Nebraska on Friday.

The booth almost got is wish.

Pinned deep in its territory after a perfect punt, Iowa QB Deacon Hill tripped and was falling into the end zone.

If he landed with the football, it would have been two points of the Cornhuskers in what was a 10-10 game.

Hill kept his composure and flipped the football to the running back who escaped the end zone.

These guys had the perfect sweatshirts.

Rutgers football vs. Iowa: Prediction, point spread, odds, best bet

After enjoying the comforts of home last week, the Scarlet Knights will head on the road for their latest conference game.

After enjoying the comforts of home last week, the Scarlet Knights will head on the road for their latest conference game. On Saturday, Rutgers will face Iowa in Iowa City for the first time in four years. The Scarlet Knights will be looking to get back in the win column after their two-game winning streak ended last week against Ohio State.

However, Rutgers will be facing an Iowa team that has been very good this year. Through nine games, the Hawkeyes have posted a 7-2 record and are ranked as the 22nd-best team in the country heading into Week 11. Against Big Ten teams, they already have four wins.

 

While this game should provide plenty of fireworks, it is another tough test for the Scarlet Knights. They will face a team ranked in the top 25 for the second straight week. A victory, however, would give Rutgers their largest win total in a single season in over ten years.

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