In-state 2025 pass rusher Justin Hill says he feels comfortable playing Jack for Ohio State if he chooses to play for the Buckeyes and says he is searching for a “home vibe.”
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JUSTIN HILL SAYS HE FEELS COMFORTABLE WITH OHIO STATE'S PLAN FOR HIM AT THE JACK POSITION IF HE COMES TO COLUMBUS
In between sessions of Ohio State’s high school 7-on-7 tournament Tuesday, Justin Hill was sporting a Buckeyes beanie.
In June. In 91-degree weather.
Why? Because he says it actually made the hot temperatures more bearable.
“It’s actually kinda cooling things for me,” the four-star 2025 pass rusher said while laughing when asked why he’d wear a beanie in such a warm climate. “I don’t know why.”
Weirdly, it’s a similar parallel to how he’s handling his recruitment. Hill’s recruitment is in the home stretch, with only one official visit remaining before he’ll eventually announce a decision on July 3 between Ohio State, Alabama, USC and Oregon. The final few weeks could be akin to a heat wave of anxiety and stress about finding the right fit for some, yet Hill remains cool-headed as ever as he carefully evaluates his options.
Ohio State certainly hopes the Winton Woods product opts to stay in-state, as the Buckeyes have been actively recruiting him for more than a year. Hill, the No. 72 overall prospect and the No. 7 edge rusher in the 2025 class per 247Sports’ composite rankings, has made visits to OSU, USC and Alabama over the last three weekends.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound prospect’s recruitment with the Buckeyes has been anything but conventional, as four different defensive coaches have taken turns recruiting him and building a rapport with him. Most of that is because defensive coordinator Jim Knowles envisions Hill playing the Jack, a position he hasn’t utilized much in his two-year tenure with the Buckeyes. With that essentially being a linebacker/edge pass rusher hybrid, Knowles enlisted Larry Johnson, James Laurinaitis and even Tim Walton to help make pitches to Hill during his OSU official visit.
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