Ducks Digest

Oregon Football 4-Star Target Justin Hill Surprisingly Commits to Alabama Crimson Tide

Oregon football recruiting lost out to the Alabama Crimson Tide for a top prospect in Justin Hill on Wednesday.
Matt Galatzan|
Milford quarterback Austin Hardin runs out of the would-be tackle of Winton Woods' Justin Hill (22) at the Winton Woods vs. Milford Eastern Cincinnati Conference football game, Oct. 7, 2022. Mw 114
Milford quarterback Austin Hardin runs out of the would-be tackle of Winton Woods' Justin Hill (22) at the Winton Woods vs. Milford Eastern Cincinnati Conference football game, Oct. 7, 2022. Mw 114 | Geoff Blankenship for The Enquirer / USA

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Oregon DucksOhio State BuckeyesUSC TrojansAlabama Crimson Tide

The Oregon Ducks have been one of, if not the hottest team in the nation on the recruiting trail in recent weeks.

In just the last few days alone, the Ducks have landed four elite recruits, including a pair of five-stars in running back Jordon Davison and cornerback Dorian Brew - both of who were being highly pursued by new Big Ten Rival Ohio State.

On Wednesday, it was thought that the Ducks were set to battle the Buckeyes for yet another elite recruit in Winton Woods (Cincinnati, OH). However, EDGE Justin Hill shocked many when he decided to verbally commit to Alabama instead.

Milford quarterback Austin Hardin runs out of the would-be tackle of Winton Woods' Justin Hill
Milford quarterback Austin Hardin runs out of the would-be tackle of Winton Woods' Justin Hill (22) at the Winton Woods vs. Milford Eastern Cincinnati Conference football game, Oct. 7, 2022. | Geoff Blankenship for The Enquirer / USA

Hill picked Alabama over the Buckeyes over Oregon, and USC in a decision that surprised many. It was highly-anticipated that Hill will pick Ohio State to fulfill a life-long dream.

“I ain’t going to lie, that’s my dream school,” Hill told On3 of Ohio State.

Hill, who ranks as the No. 48 player in the country, the No. 6 edge rusher, and the No. 4 player in Ohio per the On3 Industry Ranking, and was seen as a major Ohio State lean heading into his decision with the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine giving the Buckeyes a 94.4-percent chance to land the four-star talent.

Hill made his choice coming off of a string of four official visits. He started with a trip to Columbus on May 31, followed by visits to USC on June 7, Alabama on June 14, and Oregon on June 21.

But evidently, the visit to Tuscaloosa was too much for the other contenders to overcome.

Per 247Sports, Hill had 36 tackles,16 Tackles for loss, 13 sacks and two forced fumbles in his junior campaign, as well as 42 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and one interception as a sophomore.

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writers’ Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014, covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.

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