Eugene Hilton, son of former Colts’ WR TY Hilton, commits to Wisconsin

Eugene Hilton, the son of former Indianapolis Colts’ wide receiver TY Hilton, has committed to Wisconsin.

Eugene Hilton, the son of former Indianapolis Colts’ wide receiver TY Hilton, has committed to play football the University of Wisconsin under head coach Luke Fickell.

Listed at 6-2 and weighing 195 pounds, Hilton is a four-start wide receiver on 247Sports composite rankings. He is the 395th ranked player nationally in the 2025 recruiting class and the 63rd ranked wide receiver.

In addition to Wisconsin, Hilton had 27 other offers, including from Georgia, Michigan, Ole Miss, and Missouri. During his junior season in 2023, Hilton caught 43 passes for 836 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“I was already like really high on them. I think this really opened up my eyes a little bit more,” Hilton told 247Sports after his June 7th visit. “What I knew already and thought about them already, it all kind of just helped me and see the place and the people, if I do potentially go there, see the people I would be around and all of that.”

TY Hilton played 11 years in the NFL, 10 of which were with the Colts, including four Pro Bowl seasons. Hilton was a focal point of the Indianapolis offense, totaling at least 90 targets in eight of his first nine seasons, with 100-plus targets in six straight seasons.

Hilton eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark five times, with a career-high of 1,448 yards in 2016. He finished his NFL career with 638 receptions, 9,812 yards and 53 touchdowns.

WATCH: Former NFL Pro Bowl WR T.Y. Hilton reacts to his son committing to Wisconsin

WATCH: NFL Pro Bowl WR T.Y. Hilton reacts to son committing to Wisconsin

Eugene Hilton Jr. announced his commitment to Wisconsin on Instagram live on Friday afternoon. He is the son of four-time NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver T.Y. Hilton.

The younger Hilton is a four-star recruit who is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 395 player in the class of 2025, No. 63 wide receiver and No. 7 recruit from his home state of Indiana. He chose the Badgers over Georgia, Ole Miss, Miami, Missouri, Kansas and Purdue.

Related: Wisconsin class of 2025 vaults up national rankings after addition of four-star WR Eugene Hilton Jr.

His commitment is substantial news for Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin coaching staff as their class of 2025 continues to rise in the national rankings. He is the Badgers’ 19th addition to their class of 2025 and the fifth blue-chip player in the group.

But aside from what the four-star recruit will bring to the program in the years to come, former NFL great T.Y. Hilton had a terrific reaction to his son’s commitment:

 

T.Y.’s NFL career came to a close in 2022 after 11 seasons — 10 with the Indianapolis Colts. The Florida International graduate made four Pro Bowls and finished his career with 638 total receptions for 9,812 yards and 53 touchdowns.

Eugene Hilton looks to follow in those footsteps. Step 1 will be entering the Wisconsin program as its highest-rated wide receiver commit in the class of 2025.

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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Wisconsin makes top schools for 2025 WR, son of former NFL great

Wisconsin makes top schools for 2025 WR, son of former NFL great

Wisconsin made the top seven schools for class of 2025 wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. Sunday afternoon.

The young wide receiver is the son of former NFL wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, one of the more productive and dependable receivers of the 2010s.

Hilton is 247Sports’ No. 432 player in the class of 2025, No. 60 wide reciever and No. 7 recruit from his home state of Indiana.

Related: Braelon Allen gives his all-time Wisconsin running back Mount Rushmore

Wisconsin makes the final cut alongside Missouri, Miami, Georgia, Ole Miss, Kansas and Purdue. It should be noted that 247Sports currently has four crystal ball predictions for Hilton to choose Georgia, including one from Director of Football Recruiting Steve Wiltfong.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 currently ranks inside the nation’s top 10 at this early stage in the process. Since it is yet to receive a commitment from an offensive skill position, Hilton would fill a major need in the class.

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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.

Former Colts WR T.Y. Hilton reacts to Jonathan Taylor not getting the ball with Texans game on the line

Should the Colts have thrown the ball to Jonathan Taylor instead of Tyler Goodson?

At least one former Indianapolis Colts player seems to think that his old team should’ve put the 2023 season in the hands of another player.

After the Colts fell to the Houston Texans on Saturday for a chance at the playoffs with a brutal drop from running back Tyler Goodson, former Indy wide receiver T.Y. Hilton took to social media and appeared to advocate for another option on the play.

Hilton imagined a world where the Colts threw the ball to elite running back Jonathan Taylor instead of Goodson. Hilton thinks Taylor would’ve caught it.

Goodson’s drop (and quarterback Gardner Minshew’s throw) will be scrutinized within the Colts fandom for quite some time, and Hilton might be speaking for plenty of Indy fans who wonder why coach Shane Steichen didn’t give Taylor the ball in such a critical situation.

Taylor is far and away the Colts’ best player, and it’s very hard not to imagine how this play would’ve gone with Taylor running that quick route instead of Goodson.

It’s all water under the bridge now, as the Texans kept the season alive and the Colts headed home with more questions than answers over the play that sent them there.

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Could any of these free agent WRs get Chiefs out of offensive rut?

Could any of these veteran free agents help get the #Chiefs out of their recent offensive rut?

The Kansas City Chiefs offense is in a rut. Patrick Mahomes looks more like a middling starter than the NFL’s reigning MVP, and the media is already questioning whether Andy Reid’s system has been figured out by defensive coordinators around the league.

After the trade deadline passed without a new addition to the Chiefs’ receiving corps, Kansas City’s options to rectify the void of talent at the position are severely limited.

While none of the players currently available have been standouts in recent seasons, there are some who have put together sneaky successful careers in the NFL despite their free-agent status.

Take a look at these six veteran options to see if the Chiefs should grease the wheels on its offense or be content to stand pat heading into the toughest part of their 2023 schedule:

Wisconsin offers the son of a current NFL wide receiver

Wisconsin is getting active on the 2025 recruiting trail:

Wisconsin extended an offer to class of 2025 wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. this week.

Hilton is a three-star recruit according to 247Sports.com and holds offers from West Virginia, Purdue, Ole Miss, Miami, Louisville and Kentucky.

The Zionsville, Indiana, native is the son of NFL wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, who is a free agent after spending some of the 2022 season on the Dallas Cowboys. Of note, T.Y. played his college football at Florida International University, a program also on his son’s offer list.

Related: Ranking the five toughest games on Wisconsin’s 2023 schedule

The 2025 wide receiver is 247Sports’ No. 357 player in the class, No. 46 player at his position and No. 4 recruit from the state of Indiana.

How re-signing WR Ashton Dulin impacts Colts’ draft plans

The re-signing of WR Ashton Dulin gives the Colts some nice depth, but the position should still be a target in the draft.

The Indianapolis Colts have indicated with the release of quarterback Matt Ryan that they are moving on to the future, including evaluating and drafting a rookie quarterback in the 2023 draft.

No one but the team knows who that player will ultimately be, but one thing remains clear: the team must set that player up for success.

Since pairing former Colt T.Y. Hilton with future Hall of Fame receiver Reggie Wayne, the team has been looking for a consistent product from its receiving corps. They drafted several receivers along the way, with standout players in Parris Campbell, Michael Pittman, Jr., and Alec Piece.

However, Campbell may have seen his last days in a Colts uniform. Despite returning from multiple seasons with injuries and producing his best season, the team may be unable to re-sign him. His potential contract is likely on par with upper market value and above what their roster can handle.

With that, it makes sense that the Colts worked to bring back second-team All-Pro special teams contributor and wide receiver Ashton Dulin. The former undrafted free agent landed a two-year deal worth up to $9.2 million.

He’s a versatile player that allows the team to boost its wide receiver depth and serve as special teams gunner on punt coverage.

By allowing Dulin the flexibility to serve in two roles, general manager Chris Ballard can work to find a cheaper option to fill the void Campell would leave if he signs elsewhere. It’s a reasonable assumption to think this option may be available in the draft.

If this is the choice, there are several options, including an intriguing fit in Ole Miss’s Jonathan Mingo. Mingo is a big-bodied receiver who would feast in Jim Bob Cooter’s offense, and Mingo also has experience playing in the slot, Campbell’s specialty.

Regardless of what happens with Campbell’s future with the team, the re-signing of Dulin shouldn’t prevent the Colts from looking at upside prospects in the draft at the wide receiver position.

While decisions loom large, the clock is ticking.

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Cowboys desperately need second receiving option to step up

The Dallas Cowboys passing attack is boom or bust based on CeeDee Lamb and desperately need someone to step up beside him. | From @ReidDHanson

When the Dallas Cowboys bid adieu to Amari Cooper last March, they did so without a clear replacement in mind. They hoped their No. 2 man, CeeDee Lamb, would elevate up to the top role, but they were still down a legitimate starting option.

Factoring in the loss of Cedrick Wilson and the recovery timeline of Michael Gallup, the Cowboys had to start the 2022 season without three of their top four receivers from the season prior. Their main replacement pieces, Jalen Tolbert and James Washington, would be asked to pick up the slack.

A task both failed to do.

With only one game left to play this season, Tolbert and Washington have combined for 12 yards on two receptions. They’ve been so ineffective on offense, Tolbert has only logged 89 total snaps on offense and Washington has been released altogether.

Here’s how Cowboys signing T.Y. Hilton should be processed

A look at what Hilton has left in the tank, how he impacts the WR room and roster in general, along with possibly the continued pursuit of Beckham. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys have added a veteran receiver to the mix, just not the one many originally expected. During the offseason, after jettisoning Amari Cooper to create much needed cap space, there was a lot of speculation whether or not Dallas would sign a cheaper veteran to help fill the void. A handful of names were floated around, with the Cowboys settling on unmentioned James Washington on a very inexpensive deal.

As the season has gone on, speculation that the Cowboys were going to land Odell Beckham, Jr. crescendoed over the course of two months, until he came in for a visit and it became public knowledge he still had rehab work to do before getting on the field. The Cowboys aren’t going to stand pat, even if they remain interested in Beckham’s services. On Monday, following their narrow victory over the 1-11-1 Houston Texans, Dallas looked to boost their receiving corps by signing four-time Pro Bowler T.Y. Hilton.

But what does Hilton bring to the table and what does it mean for the WR picture in Dallas?

Potential free agent target for Cardinals: WR T.Y. Hilton

Should Arizona take another chance on a veteran former AFC South Pro Bowler to fill their number 2 receiver role?

In a continued look at free agents the Arizona Cardinals could sign, we look at the veteran wide receiver T.Y. Hilton.

Hilton appears to have lost a step this past season with the Indianapolis Colts, but still could fill the role of a number two wideout that Arizona seems to desperately need. However, his days of being an All-Pro number one type receiver seem to be behind him.

Last season with the Colts, Hilton finished with 56 receptions and 762 yards and five TDs in 15 games, along with a solid 77.7 PFF grade. He is just two years removed from a season with 76 catches for 1,270 yards.

Hilton may have lost a step, but he is still fast and would not have the burden of being the number one receiver in Arizona. He is a good route runner and could line up inside and outside. In Arizona he would likely see single coverage far more often than in Indianapolis.

A couple of other factors could be his fit in head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s scheme (which would seem to be an easy fit from Frank Reich’s offense in Indy) as well as his desire to win another championship. The Colts have a good bit of cap room and are chasing their own championship, though they don’t usually seem to spend a ton of money in free agency.

Spotrac estimates his contract to be $10.1 million per year, and actually predicted that Arizona would be the team to sign him.

What do you all think? Should Arizona make a splash and bring in another former AFC South Pro Bowler?

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