Kankakee (IL) Kankakee cornerback Jyaire Hill committed to Michigan on National Signing Day. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Notre Dame, Oregon, Purdue, Tennessee, and UCLA, among others.
Hill is listed at 6'1" and 170 lbs.
RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 81 grade, #34 CB, #239 overall
On3: 4-star, 93 grade, #15 CB, #112 overall
Rivals: 4-star, 5.8 grade, #51 CB
247 Sports: 4-star, 92 grade, #22 CB, #212 overall
Hit the jump for more.
Hill's recruitment was a bit of a roller coaster. At different times it seemed like Michigan and Illinois were taking the lead, and early in the fall, it appeared that Illinois might pull a bit of a stunner and earn a commitment. Michigan has done well in Illinois over the past several years, and Illinois is typically a bottom-feeder program in the Big Ten. But the Illini's resurgence under head coach Bret Bielema and their upper-tier defense had Hill thinking about staying home. But late in the cycle, when Purdue hired Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters as head coach, it seemed to seal the deal. Then just before National Signing Day, Hill put out a graphic with his top five that didn't include Michigan - but it did include teams like Kentucky and Missouri - and it was confusing to a lot of people that the Wolverines would go from #1 or #2 to at least #6 overnight. So he kept some people wondering right up until his announcement this afternoon.
Hill is a long athlete with good height and wingspan. He plays with great confidence and is very physical supporting the run. He has very good speed (evidenced by a 10.87 in the 100 meters and a 21.9 in the 200 meters) and pulls away from defenders when he has the ball in his hands. Despite being a bigger corner, he has decent hips and an ability to change direction. He's the type of player I might like to see on kickoff returns because of his speed and his ability to make cuts while maintaining top speed. As an all-around athlete in high school (playing QB, WR, RB, CB, KR), he should have an array of skills and experiences to bring to the table in college.
My main concern with Hill is that he is likely headed for the cornerback position in college but does not have a ton of experience with the techniques, body movements, etc. associated with playing corner at the next level. So there's going to be a learning curve.
Depending on how quickly he picks those things up, he should be a good player soon . . . or eventually. Hopefully soon. He has all the traits you want in a lockdown corner. Michigan has good defensive coaching, and Hill looks like a future NFL draft pick to me.
The outlook for Hill to play next season is pretty good, depending on if the Wolverines bring in a cornerback from the transfer portal. Will Johnson has one spot locked down, but D.J. Turner II and Gemon Green could both be gone. If both Turner and Green depart, Michigan needs a starter and then Hill could potentially be that #3 guy who rotates in.
Hill is one of four players from Illinois to sign with Michigan in 2023, joining defensive end Brooks Bahr, defensive tackle Roderick Pierce, and tight end Deakon Tonielli. Those players represent four of the top thirteen players in the state, which is more than any other program landed, including in-state Illinois and Northwestern (#4 in the state Malik Elzy has yet to commit). Hill would also be the first player from Kankakee High School to play for Michigan, though a few players have come from Kankakee, including mid-1990s offensive lineman Thomas Guynes (who attended McNamara).
TTB Rating: 88
That's a pretty strong eval. I share the high hopes for Hill.
ReplyDeleteEven though the consensus seems to be he needs development time he may not get the luxury. As it stands (assuming Turner and Green are gone), CB looks like by far the biggest concern in the starting 22. We may need Hill right away, warts and all, if he can cover 1 on 1.
Michigan should be putting out whatever NIL efforts they can because Will Johnson can't be three people at the same time. Hopefully Turner or Green can be convinced to stay or the Portal can provide an addition. Sainristil and maybe McBurrows can serve as insurance policies (Moore can slide to nickel perhaps) but we don't want to come into fall camp with a big flashing red sign over CB2 spot, nor be a Johnson injury away from disaster at one of the most important positions on the field.
Should note that there is still over 6 months of Portal time left but the abundance does wane.
And this is why - regardless of how we may feel about NIL/portal - MICHIGAN has to get involved. Hill may be good some day, but it almost certainly won't be next year ... need a guy with experience, now
ReplyDeleteYes -- but if they can leverage NIL with their own guys maybe they don't have to dip into the Portal.
DeleteIMO Turner would not have much to gain from a return, scouts have seen him plenty. But Green would have a full-time starting spot all lined up and is not (AFAIK) a sure-fire draft selection.
Yeah, it'll be a balance of priorities ... I'm interested in how programs will navigate, and who who will succeed
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