Anthony Hill Jr. LB Texas |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #0 PLAY STYLE: MULI-ROLE LB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.51 seconds (93%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.5 DOB: 02/14/2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
SHARE THIS PROFILE:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jersey: #0 | |
| PLAY STYLE: MULI-ROLE LB | |
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.51 seconds (93%*) | |
| Age: 21.5 DOB: 02/14/2005 | |
|
SHARE THIS PROFILE:
|
| Overall Rating: | 85.9 / 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
|
73% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
|
85% |
| Pass Rush: |
|
70% |
| Run Defense: |
|
86% |
| Coverage: |
|
69% |
|
DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Early
Overall Rank:
#37
Position rank:
#5 (LB)
|
||
| College Games: 39 College Snaps: 1925 | ||
ESPN RATING: 90/100
|
||
|
247 RATING: 98/100
|
||
|
RIVALS RATING: 6.1 (100%)
|
||
| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Junior Colson - Michigan |
|
87% |
| Jamin Davis - Kentucky |
|
85% |
| Chad Muma - Wyoming |
|
84% |
Drafted: ROUND: 2 - Pick Number: 60 (TEN)
Draft Profile: Bio
Ryan High School in Denton, Texas, produced one of the most decorated prep linebackers in state history when Anthony Hill Jr. anchored a defense that allowed just 15.8 points per game as the Raiders rolled to a perfect 15-0 record and the 5A Division I state championship in 2020. The recruiting services took notice immediately. By the time Hill finished his prep career, he had racked up 303 tackles, 13 sacks, and nine forced fumbles while earning consensus five-star status, ranking inside the top 25 nationally across every major recruiting service. His athleticism extended beyond football too. He ran a leg on Ryan's 4x400 relay that captured silver at the state track meet.Hill chose to stay home and play for Steve Sarkisian at Texas, and he wasted no time proving the hype was warranted. As a true freshman in 2023, he earned a starting role by midseason and finished with 66 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, and 5.0 sacks across 14 games. His signature moment came in a road upset at No. 3 Alabama, where he recorded six tackles, two TFLs, and two sacks, including one on the Crimson Tide's final offensive play to seal the victory. The performance earned him FWAA Freshman All-American honors and co-Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year recognition.
The 2024 campaign elevated Hill into the national spotlight. Starting all 16 games during Texas' transition to the SEC and College Football Playoff run, he exploded for 107 tackles (team high), 16.0 TFLs (SEC leader), 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and an interception. He earned Second-Team All-American nods from the AP, AFCA, Sporting News, and Walter Camp while collecting Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week honors after an 11-tackle, 2-sack demolition of Oklahoma. His junior year in 2025 saw continued production with 69 tackles, 7.0 TFLs, 4.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions across 10 starts before a late-season injury ended his college career. He was named a Second-Team All-American by the AP, AFCA, and FWAA, and finished as a Butkus Award finalist and Bednarik Award semifinalist.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Exceptional sideline-to-sideline range with the elite speed that allows him to chase down plays from the backside and close on the ball with elite burst.
- Runs downhill with violence and bad intentions. His tackle grades are elite (90th percentile), and he finishes through contact with explosive hip rotation that creates highlight-reel collisions.
- Quick-trigger processor who reads keys at the snap and fires into gaps before blockers can get set. Rarely takes false steps or gets manipulated by misdirection, which lets him play faster than his testing suggests.
- Ball production is off the charts with eight career forced fumbles against SEC competition. He has a nose for the football and weaponizes his hands at the point of attack to separate runners from the rock.
- Natural pass rush ability that most off-ball linebackers simply do not possess. He recorded 17 career sacks with legitimate dip-and-bend moves that give offensive linemen problems when he comes on delayed blitzes.
- Clutch performer who delivered in Texas' bli>
- Coverage responsibilities at Texas were extensive. He shows fluid hips in zone drops, gets good depth to his landmarks, and uses his length to feel routes developing when pattern-matching.
- Long arms create an impressive tackle radius and allow him to keep blockeiggest moments. From sealing the Alabama upset as a freshman to dominant performances against Oklahoma and Georgia, he elevates when the spotlight is brightest.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Overly aggressive with his reads and occasionally overruns plays, creating cutback lanes when he commits too hard to his initial key without maintaining gap integrity.
- Man coverage against quick receiving backs remains a work in progress. Shows some hip stiffness when asked to mirror choice routes, and athletic backs can create separation on breaks.
- Tends to tackle high at times, which allows physical runners to churn out extra yards through contact. Needs to be more consistent playing with low pad level when wrapping up in space.
- Stack-and-shed technique against longer offensive linemen who get into his frame needs refinement. Once engaged, he can struggle to disengage and prefers to slip around blocks rather than work through them.
- Play-action can draw his eyes into the backfield too quickly. Gets caught flat-footed in his zone drops when he bites on the fake, leaving windows behind him.
Scouting Report: Summary
Watch Texas play and the first thing that jumps out is how fast Hill gets from Point A to Point B. This is a linebacker who plays like his hair is on fire every snap, flying around the field with a combination of speed and controlled aggression that's rare at the position. His run defense is legitimately elite. He diagnoses plays instantly, attacks downhill, and finishes with violence. The tackling ability is legit. Offensive coordinators had to account for him on every carry, and that kind of disruption translates immediately to Sundays.Here's the deal with Hill: he's a scheme-versatile defender who can thrive in multiple fronts. His blitzing production and natural pass rush moves make him a weapon that defensive coordinators can deploy from various alignments. Want to send him off the edge? He has the bend. Need him to time up an A-gap blitz? His trigger is quick enough. In coverage, he's better in zone concepts where he can use his eyes and length to pattern-match rather than pure man assignments against shifty backs. He projects best in hybrid defenses that value speed and range at the second level, where coordinators can move him around and let his athleticism take over.
The measurables check every box for a modern NFL linebacker. At 6'3", 238 pounds with 4.5 speed, Hill has the size to hold up against the run and the athletic profile to stay on the field in passing situations. He's not a finished product in coverage, and there are moments where his aggressiveness works against him, but the foundation is rock solid. The instincts, the ball production, the big-game performances against elite SEC competition. He's a plug-and-play starter from Day One who should develop into a multi-year anchor at the position. The production at Texas tells the story: three years of dominance, All-American recognition each season, and a knack for making plays when it matters most. That translates.
Anthony Hill Jr. percentiles vs other Linebackers (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Anthony Hill Jr. (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
46.2
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
5.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.