Texas Longhorns' Anthony Hill Jr. Poised for Another Big Season

Anthony Hill Jr. will be a leader once again for the Texas Longhorns' defense.

Jon Alfano | Feb 26, 2025

Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (0) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Texas Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns' defense will have to overcome some big losses next season, with the likes of Jahdae Barron, Andrew Mukuba and Alfred Collins off to the NFL.

The good news is that they also have a ton of returning talent as well, with Michael Taaffe, Collin Simmons, and perhaps most imporantly, Anthony Hill Jr. all coming back for another run at a title.

Hill, a rising junior from Denton, Texas, was one of the best players on the Longhorns' defense this past season, recording a team-high 113 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. He earned first-team All-American honors for that performance, but the best may be yet to come.

Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. after recovering a fumble against the Texas A&M Aggies

Nov 30, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (0) reacts after recovering a fumble during the fourth quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies. The Longhorns defeated the Aggies 17-7. at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Bleacher Report's Brad Shepard recently named Hill as one of his top clutch performers heading into the 2025 season, suggesting another outstanding season is on the way.

"A couple of classes ago, former 5-star Anthony Hill Jr. was expected to be an impact player, and he was right away as a freshman in 2023," Shepard wrote. "This past season, he made the leap to megastar.

"This was evidenced by huge games, including in a lopsided rivalry win over Oklahoma in which Hill had 11 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry. He is simply all over the place, all the time."

The Red River Rivalry was Hill's best performance of the season, as he was named the co-SEC Defensive Player of the Week, the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week and the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week. That was one of three 11-tackle performances of the season, so he's more than capable of taking over games.

The Longhorns are in championship-or-bust mode after coming agonizingly close the past two seasons, and Hill will be key to that quest.

"The number of plays he disrupts is astounding," Shepard wrote. "If there's a big play to be made on defense, the 'Horns look to Hill. And now he has elite playmaker Colin Simmons on the second level to take some of the pressure off him."