4-star CB announces recruitment update amid interest from six college football teams

A top 2027 defensive back is taking a step back in his recruitment. While early commitments are becoming more and more commonplace in an era of both portal recruiting and the Early Signing period for high school seniors, knowing when to move can be a complex decision.

In fact, the four-star defensive back in question was reportedly nearing a commitment to Indiana, but instead decided to slow down, take a step back, and consider a few more schools. In fact, it's a wide spread of teams interested in the top recruit.

Hill Slowing Down

After nearing a decision, 4-star CB Jailen Hill has now hit the reset button on his recruitment, he tells @adamgorney⏳

"I want to make the right decision at the right time."

Read: https://t.co/v3osRgWYkU pic.twitter.com/cu8pGhvPyJ
— Rivals (@Rivals) February 1, 2026

Defensive back Jailen Hill, a 6'2" prospect from the legendary St. John Bosco High in California, was near making his collegiate pick with the defending champion, but instead decided to slow down and consider more teams. Indiana remains involved, but Hill is considering several other schools.

"I want to make the right decision at the right time," Hill told Rivals' Adam Gorney.

Assistant coaching moves have complicated Hill's timeline. Cam Haney of Indiana moved on to Tulsa, while Notre Dame assistant Mike Mickens headed for the NFL and a job with the Baltimore Ravens.

Oncoming Contenders for Hill

Local power USC recently hosted Hill and he's interested in that program. The Trojans grabbed the top recruiting class in the national 2026 rankings. Among the other programs that Hill is hoping to visit are Tennessee, Nebraska, and Notre Dame. Indiana and Texas A&M are longer-standing favorites that Hill may still be looking over in the months to come.

247sports ranks Hill as the No. 119 player in the national recruiting class and the No. 16 cornerback in its ratings. Hill is long and athletic and might end up seeing a shift to safety at the collegiate level based on his size and potential physicality.

Several of Hill's top teams are among the national leaders so far in the 2027 recruiting cycle. Texas A&M ranks second and Notre Dame ranks fourth so far in the 247sports' team rankings. Indiana is currently 19th in those rankings and USC is sitting at 41st, having taken just a single commitment so far after adding 35 players in the 2026 recruiting class.

With Hill plotting school visits for March, it would seem unlikely that he'll commit in the near future. But for a top cornerback/safety recruit, there's no shortage of schools that'll be willing to wait for him to take his time and pick his landing spot carefully-- even if it takes a little longer than Hill first intended.