Four-Star ATH Daniel Hill Includes Tennessee Among Top Choices

2024 four-star athlete Daniel Hill recently got a look at the Tennessee Volunteers, and he liked what he saw enough to include them in his top schools.

The Vols offered 2024 four-star athlete Daniel Hill in February and have been gaining ground ever since. Tennessee's coaching staff leaves an impression on recruits, whether they get in early, on-time, or late. Other major suitors have been after Hill for a long time, but a recent trip to Knoxville for the 865 Live Event has vaulted Tennessee above many of those programs.

Hill is a Mississippi native that stars on both sides of the football for Meridian High School. He projects as a running back at the college level; Hill touched the ball 199 times during his junior season, totaling 1,406 all-purpose yards and 21 touchdowns. He measures 6-1 and 233 pounds, more than capable of shouldering an SEC workload. His top schools reflect that sentiment - of Hill's eight finalists that he released on Sunday, six are SEC programs.

• Alabama
• Auburn
• LSU
• Michigan
• Mississippi State
• Penn State
• South Carolina
• Tennessee

Alabama and South Carolina are Tennessee's primary competitors. The Crimson Tide and head coach Nick Saban have done an excellent job getting Hill on campus and pitching him on the program's culture. He has unofficially visited Alabama eight times, six during his junior year. Hill has seen Columbia, South Carolina, twice and came away enthralled both times. Head coach Shane Beamer resonates with Hill, as he appreciates Beamer's vision for what the Gamecocks could become. He has three official visits scheduled, with the schools receiving them being Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee. He will see the Vols this upcoming weekend alongside two important guests - five-star defensive end Williams Nwaneri and four-star offensive lineman Max Anderson. The Vols must impress him, but they sit in a good spot, according to Hill in a recent interview with On3 after he cut his recruitment down. "I believe Tennessee is one piece away from becoming a real contender, especially after the year they had last year. I could see myself being in an explosive offense like they have, and the thing I could do in a system like that would be crazy." I evaluated Hill in November and left intrigued about his potential.

"The best backs maintain balance while seeking contact from the moment they touch the football. They can confidently attack holes because they know first contact likely won't bring them down. When he gets the football, Hill runs like a man possessed. He moves in tight, concentrated strides that eat up the turf. Defenders bounce off him like bowling pins, appearing as obstacles instead of tacklers. While his top speed doesn't always look impressive, Hill can put his foot on the grass and gain serious steam. He keys in on blocks and knows when to take a home run swing. He dips his hips at the point of impact and drives through his front foot, creating a forward momentum that propels him forward. Hill's powerful strides let him clear quick defensive backs chasing after him, making them look slow. Hill does an excellent job tracking the ball out of the air, which takes natural receivers years to develop. He sees the ball through his hands, leaning into his route to create space. He also has a sudden burst in space that lets him flip his hips quicker than an average running back. College coaches may be interested in getting him 25 catches per year because Hill can do some damage after the catch."

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