Kansas Jayhawks Offer 3-Star Defensive David Hill From Illinois: What It Means

Lance Leipold knows he's on the hot seat after finishing below .500 and missing out on a bowl game for a second straight year. And the best way to guarantee that doesn't happen for a third straight season is by landing some legit players on the recruiting front. Doesn't matter how he does it -- transfer portal, junior college signings, or high school signings -- but he needs to do it.

And on Thursday, Leipold went back to his bread and butter and offered another player out of the Chicagoland area after offering three-star defensive tackle David Hill out of Homewood-Flossmoor High School.

Blessed to receive an offer from @KU_Football! #AGTG @HFVikingFTBL @CoachAVogel @EDGYTIM @PrepRedzoneIL @Rivals @CoachTraz @247Sports @TomLoy247 @AllenTrieu @GregSmithRivals @adamgorney @tomlenmimg @On3sports pic.twitter.com/TsvxcxqEhc
— David Hill (@Davoohill54) January 8, 2026

David Hill's background and scouting report

Hill is hard to miss in person and on tape. Hill stands at 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, and played both offensive line and defensive line at HF. For a guy north of 300 pounds, Hill has a solid get-off and is at his best against the pass. Hill can play both inside and outside, but projects to play defensive tackle at the college level.

Per 247 Sports, Hill is the 66th-ranked defensive lineman in the nation and 20th best recruit in the state for his graduating class. Hill could potentially play on the offensive line in college, but with the athletic traits he possesses and his strong tackling skills, he's probably best suited to play defense.

Hill is also more than capable of playing in both a 3-4 and 4-3 defensive scheme, but is probably best suited as a defensive tackle in a 4-3. However, if he continues to get bigger, he could potentially play nose tackle in a 3-4.

What other schools is Kansas competing with for David Hill?

A lot. 11 to be exact, including a pair of Big 12 schools in Cincinnati and Iowa State. Hill also has three Big Ten offers in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Purdue, and four MAC offers in Western Michigan, Eastern Illinois, Miami (Ohio), and Toledo. Northern Illinois, which begins its first season in the Mountain West next year, has also offered Hill, along with Missouri State, which just finished its first year in the FBS.

Hill has plenty of time before he has to make a decision, but don't be surprised if he has 20 or so offers before the start of next season. At the end of the day, though, I'm confident Kansas will make Hill's top five. However, the Jayhawks' biggest threat is probably Illinois. Plenty of HF alums have ended up in Champaign, and the Illini are certainly a team on the rise after winning 9+ games and a bowl game for a second straight season.

If Leipold can get Hill on campus multiple times during the calendar year and Kansas makes a bowl game next season, there's a chance Hill could end up in Lawrence.