Tag: Khaleke Hudson

2020 NFL draft: Khaleke Hudson scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Michigan safety/linebacker prospect Khaleke Hudson

Khaleke Hudson | S | Michigan

Elevator Pitch

Hudson is a bit small to play linebacker full-time in the NFL, likely a safety-backer hybrid role is what suits him best. He can tackle and rush the passer as needed. Hudson is a backup at the NFL level with a lot of focus on special teams with his propensity of blocked punts.

Vitals

Height | 5-11

Weight | 224

Class | Senior

College Stats

College Bio

Strengths

Hudson is quicker than fast, shows the short area quickness but not the long speed. Very good player on special teams where he might find his calling in the NFL. Ability to challenge punts will do wonders at the next level as teams look for any advantage they can get. Uses the same get off on punt blocks as he does as a pass rusher. Can get to the quarterback and be disruptive in the backfield. Teams will need to find a way to blitz him in certain packages.

Very solid tackler at Michigan and provides some pop when doing so. He isn’t afraid to mix it up with the bigger bodies when chasing down a ball carrier. Very much a high motor guy who doesn’t give up on a play. Really needs to play near the line of scrimmage as that is where he will get his best production. Solid in short and intermediate zone coverages.

Weaknesses

Hudson’s lack of length could be a detriment to what he can provide on defense. Not to mention his lack of top end speed will hurt him when coming down hill from a deeper safety spot. Needs to play around the line of scrimmage. Doesn’t show the ability to disengage from blocks in the run game. The tape against Army was putrid for Hudson as he was a non factor. Produced his second highest number of tackles but he struggled with how they ran the football.

His ball skills are very limited. Produced two interceptions during his four seasons in Ann Arbor. Needs to be better at creating turnover opportunities by way of interceptions and forced fumbles. Not a player who can play coverage downfield or play as a single high. Very limited as a fourth linebacker or box safety.

Projection: Day 3

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One Wolverine stands out in Sporting News’ NFL Combine winners list

Sporting News put together a winners and losers list and the Wolverines defender made the former.

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Many of the 11 Michigan players who made it to Indianapolis didn’t have an opportunity to showcase much of their ability at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Players like Josh Uche, Michael Onwenu and Sean McKeon only participated in limited aspects, namely the bench press, for various reasons. While others got a little more involved, some really stood out — like Donovan Peoples-Jones, who posted an elite athleticism score, per Next Gen Stats — others just kind of blended in.

But not Khaleke Hudson.

The Wolverines VIPER came in and worked out with the linebackers, first setting the bar high in the bench press before showcasing his elite athletic ability as well. When Sporting News’ Bill Bender posted his NFL Combine winners and losers, only one Michigan player made the list for good or bad.

Naturally, it was Hudson as a winner, given how impressive he was on Friday and Saturday.

Winner: Khaleke Hudson

The Michigan linebacker/safety impressed with 30 reps in the bench press and a 4.57 in the 40-yard dash. He also flashed a 33-inch vertical and a 120-inch broad jump. It was an outstanding all-around performance by another hybrid in Don Brown’s defense, and he could be valuable in a scheme that can utilize that athleticism. Hudson was not quite as impressive as Simmons, but his performance should bump him up the board.

Bump him up the board is something Hudson needs. He hasn’t always made high marks in seven-round mocks. Now, we wouldn’t be surprised if he was a mid-to-late day two pick by a team that sees his potential, if not an early day three pick — a strong move considering it wasn’t a shoo-in that he’d be drafted.

Now, it’s all but a certainty.

NFL’s Next Gen Stats gives Khaleke Hudson elite rating post-combine

How the former Wolverines VIPER did and one advanced stats group that proclaimed that Hudson was among the best LBs in Indianapolis.

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There wasn’t a lot of talk, despite being a productive three-year starter, about Michigan VIPER Khaleke Hudson making a move up with a solid performance in the NFL Scouting Combine.

That certainly looks like it’s destined for a change.

While his NFL.com evaluation was less than stellar, his performance in Indianapolis says another thing. Hudson had the most reps of any non-lineman on the bench press — ninth overall — and was eighth (of 30) in his 40 time, running a 4.56.

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And though he was middling in his vertical and broad jumps, Next Gen Stats, the advanced statistics arm of the NFL, proclaimed Hudson’s performance among the elite at the linebacker position, giving him a 98 (out of 100) rating, just behind Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons, Miss. St.’s Willie Gay and Stanford’s Casey Toohill.

Combine results and NFL.com evaluation

40-yard dash 4.56 Vertical jump 33
Bench press 30 Broad jump 120

Hudson’s NFL.com draft profile was given before the combine, and Lance Zierlein was none too thrilled about him as an NFL prospect, giving the McKeesport native a 5.46 grade — a rating indicating that he won’t get drafted.

Overview

Undersized safety turned linebacker who summons toughness and spunk to counterbalance his lack of traits. The production has been fairly impressive in two of the last three seasons, but he’s quicker than fast and his range is limited. Hudson’s lack of size shows up near the line of scrimmage and he’s not as sticky in coverage as he needs to be. His talent for blocking punts should garner attention, but may not be enough to overcome deficiencies at linebacker or safety.

Strengths

  • Robust production in 2017 included 17.5 TFLs and eight sacks
  • Commendable toughness against consistently bigger foes
  • Early run diagnosis triggers race to beat blockers to the spot
  • Downhill flow into the gaps looking for work
  • Sees gaps develop in blocking scheme and fits them downhill
  • Tremendous burst out of his stance as punt blocker
  • Twitchy, short-area change of direction in space
  • Adequate balance in coverage
  • Instant get-off in race to the punter
  • Finished career with five blocked punts

Weaknesses

  • Got mauled by Army’s rushing attack
  • His GPS sends him to heavily trafficked areas
  • Frequently pinballed around by blockers
  • Hip tightness and short strides prevent recoveries against bounce-wide runs
  • Has to work overtime to pull away from blocks
  • Lacks length and pattern anticipation for man coverage
  • Needs abundance of steps to close downhill from his drops
  • Average response time to what he sees in zone

However stark the above may be, Hudson certainly helped himself over the weekend. While he still might be a Day Three pick, if that’s to come to pass, he might go sooner on that April Saturday than later.

But Hudson can improve his draft stock yet should he have an exceptional Pro Day in Ann Arbor later this month.

Khaleke Hudson out-lifts every LB at NFL Scouting Combine

No other non-linemen lifted as much as the former Wolverines linebacker.

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Most of the Michigan contingent has had their turn of the initial stages of the NFL Scouting Combine, but with linebackers doing the bench press on Friday night, one former Wolverine set the bar very high.

As a VIPER in the Michigan defense, Khaleke Hudson qualifies as a linebacker rather than a defensive back, naturally, and he proved just how strong he is.

While he didn’t set this year’s record for most reps of 225-pounds — that distinction went to Fresno State offensive lineman Netane Muti with 44 reps, Hudson managed more than any non-linemen, and the most of any linebacker, putting the bar up an astounding 30 times.

With defensive backs up next, it’s likely safe to say that he will go down as the strongest non-lineman in this draft.

Josh Uche credits Khaleke Hudson’s selflessness for first Michigan opportunity

The former Wolverine got his first real opportunity because of a teammate’s selflessness, he says at the NFL Scouting Combine.

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For Michigan fans, SAM linebacker Josh Uche is a household name. But his on-field impact has only come over the past two seasons.

However, Uche has been on campus since 2016. He redshirted his freshman year, but even when that class started making the starting lineup in 2017 — among the sophomore starters, there was Devin Bush Jr., Lavert Hill, David Long, Josh Metellus, Rashan Gary and Khaleke Hudson — Uche felt like an afterthought, even though he was making plays in practice.

Fast forward to 2018, and slowly, but surely, Uche started finding his way into the rotation. But, how did that happen?

He shed more light on it at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday, noting that one of his teammates enabled him to go in when he wasn’t scheduled to. From there, he came into his own, but he’s not sure what would have happened had he not gotten that first opportunity.

“My favorite guy to play with — Khaleke Hudson,” Uche said. “Just because — sophomore year, I wasn’t getting a lot of playing time. I was frustrated, I was making the plays in practice. That’s my roommate, so we talk about it all the time, right? Khaleke was starting, Khaleke was making a splash that year.

“And then, he was like, ‘You know what?’ He come out of his package and let me go in. So just (took) himself out and was like, ‘Josh — go in!’ And from there, I just started making plays, and from there, I just started rolling.

“So that’s my boy there, man.”

Uche truly became a household name in Week Five of the 2018 season, when he made two sacks at Northwestern, with his final sack of QB Clayton Thorson sealing the contested game for the Wolverines on the road.

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Watch the entire segment below:

Detroit Lions All-University of Michigan mock draft

With mock drafts coming in left and right, ever curious to see what if the Detroit Lions drafted from just the University of Michigan? It may not be as crazy as you might think.

Mock drafts are everywhere right now and the majority of them have the Detroit Lions taking either Jeffery Okudah, Chase Young, Derrick Brown, or Isaiah Simmons with their first pick.

After a while, the mundanity can set in seeing the same few players getting slated to the Lions, so we at Lions Wire decided to add a twist to traditional mock drafts by introducing a series of mock drafts that select prospects exclusively from one school.

To kick off the series, we are staying in-state and beginning with the University of Michigan.

Round 1

Pre-combine there may be only one Wolverine that might receive first-round consideration, interior offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz.

Ruiz has been gaining steam as of late to a point being regarded as the top interior lineman in the draft. He a versatile chess piece having played both center and guard while at Michigan and can fit into any scheme. With his strong mobility in space and heavy anchor, he was the highest-graded pass blocking center in 2019 through PFF. With it looking more likely Graham Glasgow leaves in free agency, the Lions could look to dip their toes in another versatile Michigan lineman to help the offensive line.

The Lions are too far up in the draft to take Ruiz, but if the Lions make a trade and acquire the 26th pick from the Dolphins, the Lions could theoretically take Ruiz to shore up the gaps that plaque the offensive line at the bottom of the first round. If Ruiz has a strong showing at the combine, he could boost his draft stock and go from a fringe first-round prospect to a sure one.

The Lions have a need at Ruiz’s position and he could anchor the vacant guard spot for years to come.

Round 2

I feel like there are two Michigan products the Lions could tag as their second-round pick, JACK linebacker Joshua Uche or receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. Uche enjoyed a major rise to his draft stock after a dominant showing at the Senior bowl and Lions fans instantly fell in love with the local product.

He was able to show he can handle not only edge rushing, but play sticky coverage on tight ends and running backs. With his versatility as a JACK/SAM linebacker, he screams fit for the Lions.

People-Jones production in Michigan was something left to be desired considering how much of big-bodied receiver he was but with the low level of targets, it’s hard to lay the blame solely on him. With his size, speed, and ball skills, he could easily be a productive receiver at the next level. Even though his route running could improve, he has the look of receiver coaches who would love to get their hands on.

Even though the Lions have another high second-round pick, one could make an argument for either player to be the Lions’ selection. Uche will help shore up a disappointing pass rush and People-Jones could become a versatile piece in the receiving corps. It would be tempting to give Matthew Stafford another weapon, but the Lions need to look at improving their defense and Uche will help in not only edge pressure, but strong coverage abilities where the Lions lack in their linebackers.

Round 3

The Wolverines had one of the more impressive offensive interior lines this past season and the Lions could look to double-dip into that talent by selecting guard Ben Bredeson in the third round after selecting Ruiz in the first round.

Bredeson might not be as athletic as his counterpart, Ruiz, but he makes up for it with strength and power. He will plant you in the ground and have a smile on his face doing it because he loves setting the tone early. With his strong physicality, he is a great fit in a man heavy scheme perfect for what the Lions what to do in the trenches.

Even though the Lions tagged Ruiz as their first-round pick, the guard spot is in a flux and could use more bodies and they could do worse than Bredeson manning one of those spots or provide a quality backup.

 Round 4/5

The Lions’ secondary could use some help and thankfully for them the Wolverines offer a couple of intriguing options Day 3 of the draft, cornerback Lavert Hill and linebacker/safety Khaleke Hudson.

Hill’s skill set allows him to play outside, but because of his size, he is more favored to play in the slot. Having only one season of starter experience his production is minimal, but between his sticky man coverage, strength, and ball skills, he could be a diamond in the rough in the later round. The Lions could use him a potential prodigy to Coleman and provide depth on the outside in case of injuries.

Hudson is going to be one of the player’s teams might not know how to use him having played the VIPER position during his Michigan tenure. Essentially think of Hudson as a poor man’s Isiah Simmions, a free-roaming defensive chess piece, having logged snaps at off-ball linebacker, edge defender, slot corner, box safety, and deep safety. If a smart team can get ahold of him and figure out the best way to use the versatile defender they could have a player who can match up well against offenses. Since the Lions love versatile players, Hudson could match up well, starting on special teams, but could work his way to defensive snaps.

With their second fifth-round pick, the Lions might have to reach a little bit to grab a Michigan player, but tight end Sean McKeon could match up well in the Lions offense. McKeon is of those versatile tight ends who could be a three-down player with strong skills at catching and blocking. He is a technical, smart player who understands how to use leverage to his advantage and either seal off defenders or find the open spot for the catch.

The Lions likely aren’t looking for a top tight end after taking T.J Hockenson in the first round last year and signing Jesse James to a big contract, but McKeon could be one of those players who can sneak in and provide quality play as a TE3 for the Lions.

Round 6

Late in this draft, you aren’t looking for someone to contribute immediately, but the Lions could select this once highly regarded prospect who they got a first-hand look at the Senior Bowl, quarterback Shea Patterson.

Even though Patterson showed good mobility and arm strength, accuracy has plagued him constantly. He has the ability to extend plays but might tend to panic quickly and take off if his first read isn’t available or take the check down option. Patterson does have the tangibles to slide into a backup role and maybe, with some good coaching, groom into something bigger. Since the Lions were able to coach Patterson at the Senior Bowl, they know what they are getting with him and possibly vision a role for him.

Summary

Here is how the Lions draft could shape up with all Michigan players:

Late 1st- Cesar Ruiz, C
2nd- Joshua Uche, JACK
3rd- Ben Bredeson, G
4th- Lavert Hall, CB
5th- Khaleke Hudson, LB/S
5th- Sean McKeon, TE
6th- Shea Patterson, QB

Now some of the players may be reaches at this time, but with the Combine still to go, it is hard to tell how the draft will play out. Uche, Bredeson, Hudson, McKeon, and previously mentioned Patterson all participated at the Senior Bowl, so the Lions got a personal look at the majority of these players and General Manager Bob Quinn love drafting from the Senior bowl.

The University of Michigan will be well represented with the second most participating players giving the Lions another opportunity to get a first-hand look at the players. So it’s not out of the realm of possibilities to see some of these players finding their way on the Lions roster come draft day.

Michigan second-most with 11 NFL Scouting Combine invites

The Wolverines have the second-most players invited to Indianapolis of any school in college football.

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NFL mock drafts have been all across the board as it pertains to Michigan. But it’s undeniable that the Wolverines has talent in 2019.

The maize and blue lost two draft-eligible juniors who declared, but also have nine seniors that very well could find their name picked come April in the NFL Draft.

But the road to Las Vegas starts later this month in Indianapolis with the annual NFL Scouting Combine, and the Wolverines boast the second-most invitees, tied with Ohio State with 11, but behind LSU who has 16.

That said, there’s a strong case to be made that all 11 could be drafted.

While most mocks to this point don’t include any now-former Michigan players in the first-round, we’ve seen some with center Cesar Ruiz near the tail end, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Josh Uche makes a push.

Here’s all 11 invitees:

  • Ben Bredeson, OL
  • Lavert Hill, DB
  • Khaleke Hudson, LB
  • Sean McKeon, TE
  • Josh Metellus, DB
  • Michael Onwenu, OL
  • Shea Patterson, QB
  • Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR
  • Cesar Ruiz, OL
  • Jon Runyan Jr., OL
  • Josh Uche, LB

Walter Football has two Wolverines selected in three-round NFL mock draft

The scouting website has two Wolverines selected in round three.

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We’re not sure about this one.

We’re big fans of analytics site Walter Football, but as the site put together its latest three-round NFL mock draft in the past 24 hours, it seems like there’s some glaring omissions.

While it’s tough to project any Michigan players in the first-round as of current — though Reese’s Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy thinks one former Wolverine should go that high — prognosticators are all across the board when it comes to what players will go, not to mention when.

We’ve seen mock drafts with center Cesar Ruiz going as high as the first or second round. Josh Uche seems destined to go anywhere between the first and third. Donovan Peoples-Jones between the second and fourth.

So, basically, until the NFL Scouting Combine, it’s anybody’s guess.

That’s what it feels like here, with no former Wolverines picked in the first or second rounds. But Walter Football has two Wolverines going in the third, including Khaleke Hudson’s highest projection to date.

83. Denver Broncos: Khaleke Hudson, S, Michigan

The Broncos could use some depth and competition at safety next to Justin Simmons.

Hudson totaled 102 tackles, three passes defended and two sacks in 2019. The 6-foot, 205-pounder is a solid run defender who could stand to improve his pass coverage for the NFL. In 2018, Hudson had 45 tackles with two sacks and one pass broken up. His best season came as a sophomore with 83 tackles with 18.5 tackles for a loss, eight sacks, nine passes broken up and two interceptions on the year.

And of course, Uche was the other selection.

87. New England Patriots: Josh Uche, 3-4OLB/OLB, Michigan

The Patriots brought back Jamie Collins, but they could use more edge-rushing linebackers.

Uche had 35 tackles with 8.5 sacks, two passes batted and two forced fumbles in 2019. The 6-foot-1, 241-pounder was a fast and dangerous edge rusher over the past two seasons, but he is very undersized for the NFL. As a pro, he would fit best as a designated pass-rusher and playing in a 3-4 scheme would probably be the best scheme for him. Uche had only 15 tackles during the 2018 season, but seven of those were sacks as he was a dangerous pass-rusher for the Wolverines.

However, as the site also has outgoing Michigan WR Tarik Black — who is in the NCAA transfer portal, but hasn’t formally selected a destination — going in the fourth-round, perhaps Walter Football knows something that we don’t.

7-round NFL mock draft sees 8 Wolverines picked

The site predicts all seven rounds of the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft and has 8 Wolverines going to the league formally.

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It seemed obvious coming out of the 2016 season that Michigan was going to have a bevy of NFL Draft picks. 11 selections later, the Wolverines led all teams with players coming out of Ann Arbor headed to the pro ranks.

It’s been slim pickings since then, with just a handful of former Michigan players going each year, but the 2020 NFL Draft looks like it could certainly have a maize and blue flair.

At least according to Bleacher Report.

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NFL Draft prognosticator Matt Miller put together his post-Super Bowl seven-round mock draft this week, and an astonishing eight Wolverines made the class of 256 players selected overall, including one surprise going in the first-round.

Miller explained why he has former Michigan center Cesar Ruiz, who left a year of eligibility on the table, picked 31st overall by the NFL runner-up San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers clearly have a defense talented enough to win the big games and have promising young players on offense, led by Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. Up next to improve is the interior offensive line.

Cesar Ruiz is the draft’s best center and has shown the ability to handle power and speed on the inside. He’s smart, athletic and versatile enough to handle the 49ers’ zone-blocking scheme at any inside spot.

Here’s all of the Michigan picks as predicted by Miller:

  • 31, (1): OC Cesar Ruiz, San Francisco 49ers
  • 44, (2): WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Indianapolis Colts
  • 70, (3): EDGE Josh Uche, Miami Dolphins
  • 100, (3): OL Ben Bredeson, Seattle Seahawks
  • 171, (5): LB Khaleke Hudson, Baltimore Ravens
  • 207. (6): TE Sean McKeon, Jacksonville Jaguars
  • 216, (7): S Josh Metellus, Cincinnati Bengals
  • 228, (7): CB Lavert Hill, Indianapolis Colts

There are two notable omissions here, of course. Miller has QB Shea Patterson and OL Michael Onwenu both as undrafted in his seven-round mock — though it’s likely that one or both could be late-round picks by an NFL franchise.

Of course, we’ll have a better idea later this month when the NFL Scouting Combine kicks off, putting much more of the upcoming draft in perspective.

Michigan football defense grades from the 2019 season

Michigan football ended its 2019 season 9-4. The defense wasn’t as good as year’s past but was better than most projected. How’d they do?

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2019 was a big year for Michigan’s defensive coordinator Don Brown. He has lost talented players before and simply reloaded, but this year was tougher. A lot of new players would start for him, and with two new defensive coaches underneath him, after both linebackers coach Al Washington and defensive line coach Greg Mattison left for Ohio State. Harbaugh would bring in Anthony Campanile from Boston College to coach the linebackers, and Shaun Nua from Arizona State to coach the defensive line.

The 2019 Michigan football defense was better than most people projected. Headed into the season Brown’s group wasn’t getting the respect they deserved. Even with new starters across the board and new coaches, they still had loads of talent and deserved to be a top-10 defense.

The defense would see new starters at every level. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson would get to start after waiting for his turn. Linebacker Khaleke Hudson sought out to redeem his poor 2018 season. Cornerback Lavert Hill would be the top cornerback alongside Ambry Thomas and Vincent Gray. Michigan would also get to see five-star freshman safety Daxton Hill debut.

Special Teams even had an interesting battle at kicker between Quinn Nordin and Jake Moody as last season ended with a debacle between who would start.

While the defense did better than expected, in the end, it just wasn’t enough as they couldn’t slow down the offenses of Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Alabama. They were given a tough challenge of Army early on in the season too and needed double overtime to take down the Black Knights

With that said, it’s time to review how each position, including head coach and coordinators, did in the 2019 season. I already broke down the offense earlier as it’s the defenses turn to get graded on their performance.

Defensive Line: C

Michigan’s defensive ends would see some new faces start for them. Aidan Hutchinson would be one of them and his sophomore season was a good one, finishing with 69 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, six pass deflections, three and a half sacks, and three forced fumbles. His partner in crime, and the other new starting defensive end, was Kwity Paye, who finished the season with 50 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and six and a half sacks.

While the ends were performing well, the defensive tackles are where Michigan had some trouble creating pressure. Carlo Kemp would be one of the starters and finished with 40 total tackles, four and a half tackles for loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery. Michael Dwumfour would be playing through an injury for most of the season according to Dwumfour, and his play was affected greatly, finishing with just nine total tackles, two pass deflections, one and a half tackles for loss and just half a sack in the seven games he played in.

The depth behind the players wasn’t as rich as years past. Defensive tackle Chris Hinton would play in Dwumfours absence and didn’t have much production either, finishing with just 10 total tackles and half a tackle for loss. Defensive end Mike Danna, a transfer from Central Michigan, would play and help out with his veteran presence, finishing with 38 total tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble. Defensive end Luiji Vilan would finally see the field after missing two seasons with injuries, and he had seven total tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and a forced fumble this year.

Linebacker: B
Josh Uche would continue to build himself up for the NFL, finishing the season with 33 total tackles, 10.5 tackle for loss, team-high seven and a half sacks, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, and a pass deflection. Devin Gil saw a step back in playtime, only appearing in six games and finishing with nine total tackles and a half a tackle for loss.
The biggest thing about the group this year was the emergence of Cam McGrone. Josh Ross was starting before him and finished the year with 18 total tackles in just three games before getting injured. McGrone stepped in for Ross and ever since then Ross hasn’t seen the field, despite being healthy enough to play. McGrone finished the year with 65 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, two and a half sacks, one forced fumble, and a pass deflection.
Cornerback: B-

Michigan got a boost for its secondary this year with Lavert Hill deciding to return for his senior year last year, and it ended up being the right choice in the end. Hill finished the year with 16 total tackles, nine pass deflections, three interceptions, and a tackle for loss. While it wasn’t an eye-popping season, he still overall played well.

The real star was Ambry Thomas, who overcame colitis in August, after not knowing when he’d return, and had a huge sophomore season, finishing with 38 total tackles, three tackles for loss, three pass deflections, and three interceptions, along with two fumble recoveries. With Thomas moving up to second-string, Vincent Gray would be moved up to third and overall had a quiet season. He finished with 20 total tackles, five pass deflections, and a tackle and a half for loss.

Safety: B-

Safety Josh Metellus made the right choice in returning to Michigan in 2019 for his senior year also, as he had a career-high 74 total tackles this season, along with five pass deflections, four tackles for loss, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. Brad Hawkins was his original starting partner, finishing the season with 53 total tackles, and a pass deflection. An injury to Hawkins would force him to miss some time, but in the meantime, his playing time would get reduced due to five-star freshman Daxton Hill taking over in his absence.

Hill had an interesting year. While he would start the year on special teams, with Hawkins injury he moved towards defense and his role at safety. While Hill didn’t blow up the stat sheet like many were hoping for, along with showing signs of being a freshman, he was able to impress during his playtime. He had 36 total tackles, three pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, and an interception.

Now onto the special teams and coaching…
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