Brandyn Hillman Commitment Preview: Virginia Standout Ready To Announce His Decision
One of the most versatile athletes in the country - Portsmouth (Va.) Churchland star Brandyn Hillman - is set to make his college commitment known. The 6-2, 190-pound athlete will announce his decision today at 1:00 PM ET. Hillman is one of the fastest risers in the country after schools began to pay more attention to him, and he has a number of big name programs to choose from.
Despite being a dominant player on the field as a junior, including being named the 4A State Player of the Year in 2021, teams and recruiting services didn't pay enough attention to Hillman. There are reports that Hillman initially was set on playing quarterback, but as he became more open to playing other positions you saw his offer list explode.
He began his senior season with no FBS offers, but he ended his senior campaign with offers from Notre Dame, USC, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Miami (Fla.), North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Kentucky, Boston College, Virginia and West Virginia. Hillman is now ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 291 overall player in the country according to On3, and that is still underrated when you look at his film, athleticism and versatility.
Hillman has a group of five finalists that include Notre Dame, USC, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Kentucky.
Here's a look Hillman's five finalists.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame worked behind the scenes on Hillman for some time before finally offering, and the Irish immediately shot up his list of favorite schools. Hillman made a trip to Notre Dame for an official visit the weekend of October 15, and the Irish continued building a strong bond with the Virginia standout.
Notre Dame director of recruiting Chad Bowden has put a lot of work into this recruitment, and Hillman has been building a connection with several different Irish coaches. Notre Dame has been all over with what positions he might play, but at the end of the day they view him as an athlete that can play anywhere.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Hillman made multiple game day visits to North Carolina and the Tar Heels have pushed hard to land him. He is being recruited by fellow 757 legend Dre Bly, who was a star for Chesapeake (Va.) Western Branch before becoming an All-American at North Carolina.
The Tar Heels are recruiting Hillman as a safety.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Blacksburg is another place that received multiple visits from Hillman, who saw the Hokies in person during the season and also made multiple offseason trips to the western part of his state to see Virginia Tech.
Virginia Tech has talked to Hillman in the past about getting a chance to play quarterback.
Kentucky Wildcats
Like Notre Dame, Kentucky got into the mix late but has pushed hard to get into the mix with him. The Wildcats received Hillman for an official visit the weekend they play Vanderbilt. Kentucky is also pushing for Hillman on the defensive side of the ball. Kentucky has worked hard to get into the mix with Hillman, but they appear to be trailing the teams above heading into his announcement.
USC Trojans
USC was one of the last schools to offer and begin making a push for Hillman. At this time I do not believe Hillman has visited the USC campus, which will likely make it hard for the Trojans to pull this one out at the end.
Irish Breakdown Fans be sure to get your Notre Dame tickets from SI Tickets HERE
Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge
Irish Breakdown Content
Notre Dame 2022 Roster
Notre Dame 2022 Schedule
Notre Dame 2023 Class Big Board
Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Offense
Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Defense
Notre Dame 2023 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense
———————
Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more.
Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!
Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes
Follow me on Twitter: @CoachD178
Follow me on Gettr: @IrishBreakdown
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook