The 2024 college football season presents an entirely new landscape. Texas is in the SEC. SMU is back in a power conference as ACC members. The College Football Playoff now includes 12 teams and an automatic bid for the best G5 team in the land. For most, the start of the season is in Week 1 on August 30, though SMU starts in Week 0 and TCU plays its first game on Aug. 29.
To celebrate us making it through another off-season, we’re counting down the 50 most important players in Texas as we inch closer to kickoffs. This list isn’t necessarily about which players are the best in terms of NFL draft stock. It ranks players in order of importance to their team's success.
NO. 28: TEXAS LB ANTHONY HILL
The history: Few linebackers in the state of Texas arrived on a college campus with more hype and potential than the former five-star from Denton Ryan. Hill was a two-way star for a state championship team who earned All-State and All-American status as a junior. He recorded over 300 tackles and rushed for 13 touchdowns over three seasons for the Raiders. He flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to Texas late in the recruiting cycle and made an instant impact on the Forty Acres as a freshman in 2023. Hill co-Defensive Freshman of the Year and honorable mention All-Big 12. He started six times and played in all 14 games.
The skillset: What can’t Hill do? He’s athletic enough to star as an edge rusher as he proved with five sacks and four quarterback hurries. He can man the middle and roam sideline to sideline like a hungry line as exhibited with 66 tackles, including eight for loss. Hill is the prototype modern linebacker. He was made in a lab, or maybe he’s a create-a-player from EA College Football 25. He’s an NFL talent who might be a three-and-leave guy because of his draft potential.
The impact: The Horns must replace a leader and the team’s leading tackler in Jaylan Ford. Hill is the guy to do it. As great as Ford was in burnt orange, Hill has a chance to be better. With two strong years in the SEC, Hill could leave Austin as the next evolution of transcendent linebackers alongside Tommy Nobis and Derrick Johnson. He’s that good. Hill is also a leader and a winner.
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