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Earlier this spring, Texas football linebacker Anthony Hill took a moment during practice and took stock of his teammates in the defensive front seven.
He glanced at one of his best friends and fellow linebacker Liona Lefau, who joined Hill as part of the 2023 recruiting class. Then he noticed defensive tackles Cole Brevard, Hero Kanu and Travis Shaw as well as linebacker Brad Spence, who all arrived this offseason in the portal.
Tackle Alex January is about to begin his second collegiate season, along with linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith and pass-rushing demon Colin Simmons. Converted weakside linebacker Trey Moore has played just one season at Texas.
Among the defensive front seven players that have extended snaps over the past two seasons, only senior defensive end Ethan Burke has been at Texas longer than Hill.
More: Texas football: Steve Sarkisian makes case to Congress for 'guardrails' on court ruling
“I mean, I'm looking around, and me and Liona are, like, ‘OK, now we're the older guys,’” Hill said after a Texas practice Wednesday at Denius Fields.
Hill then recalled some of the defensive leaders from his first two seasons. He thought of Jaylan Ford, a heady and tough senior middle linebacker on the 2023 Texas team who’s now with the New Orleans Saints. He mentioned Barryn Sorrell, the all-business edge and a senior leader in 2024 who’s now prepping for the NFL draft.
“I mean, it's a little different,” he said. “Barryn, Jay Ford, none of those guys are here now. They did a good job of getting us here, so now we're kind of prepared and ready to be in the moment.”
More: Texas football: Why Neal Brown is working with Arch Manning on his breakfast habits
Hill, a five-star recruit from Denton, has had plenty of memorable moments after decommitting from Texas A&M at the last moment. Since arriving in spring 2023, he's played in 30 career games with 22 starts and racked up 180 total tackles, including 13 sacks and 24½ tackles for a loss. He’s also forced five fumbles, including four during last season’s All-America campaign.
More importantly, Hill has found a home at middle linebacker while becoming the de facto leader of the Texas defense that powered the Longhorns to a 13-3 record last season and a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
“All the plays go through him,” Simmons said. “He’s the middle linebacker, so he runs the defense.”
But Simmons knows that Hill does much more than serve as a bridge between the coaching booth and the field. Hill plays with an energy and physicality that sets the tone for the rest of the squad.
“It’s just him being Ant,” Simmons said. “The way he carries himself, the way he talks, the way he always brings the juice.”
Safety Michael Taaffe, a fifth-year senior and the leader of the secondary, says Hill reminds him of one of the pieces on the legendary 2021 Georgia defense, which allowed just 14 touchdowns and 153 total points in 15 games while producing 26 NFL draft picks.
“I never knew anybody personally on that 2021 Georgia team, but it seemed like when they stepped on the field, it was like, ‘All right, dog status,’” Taaffe said. “That's kind of how Anthony Hill is; when he steps off the field, he can joke around, but when he steps on the field, it's like, nobody's my friend here. If you're across the ball from me, you're not my friend. I don't care if you're my best friend in the locker room, you're not my friend. He's got that juice, that dog in him.”
More: College football needs a commissioner and Nick Saban should be the choice | Golden
The 6-foot-3, 237-pound Hill greets such praise with a shrug of his massive shoulders. He knows each offseason should mean another level of improvement, whether that includes better technique or better guidance for those less-experienced players surrounding him on the Texas defense.
“I already know I can make the big plays, but I’m just trying to refine my game,” he said. “Work on the details, footwork, hand placement, just little stuff to just make sure I can take the next step. I feel I can get better in pass covers, little better in pass rush. I’ve just been trying to work on little stuff every day just to try to get better.”
And how has he refined his leadership style, especially since he’s suddenly a team elder?
“I try to direct traffic here and there,” he said. “I try to let guys in the spring kind of mess up and make their mistakes. But after the play, I'll try to be, like, you did this and then that. I want guys to kind of learn by themselves instead of getting corrected on the field and making the same mistakes again.”
Hill is likely participating in his final days of spring football, which end next week. He’s drawn early projections as a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and he participated in an invitation-only symposium for 2026 NFL draft hopefuls at the NFL scouting combine earlier this year along with Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad.
But Hill downplayed any chatter about the NFL, much like the praise from his teammates. Combine interviews and 40 times will come eventually. For now, Hill wants to help Texas take the next step in the CFP and play for a national championship for the first time since falling to Alabama 37-21 after the 2009 season.
“I'm just coming to work every day, just working hard,” he said. “I’ll think about all that (NFL) stuff at the end of the season.”
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Anthony Hill: LB embraces new role as veteran leader for Texas football
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He glanced at one of his best friends and fellow linebacker Liona Lefau, who joined Hill as part of the 2023 recruiting class. Then he noticed defensive tackles Cole Brevard, Hero Kanu and Travis Shaw as well as linebacker Brad Spence, who all arrived this offseason in the portal.
Tackle Alex January is about to begin his second collegiate season, along with linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith and pass-rushing demon Colin Simmons. Converted weakside linebacker Trey Moore has played just one season at Texas.
Among the defensive front seven players that have extended snaps over the past two seasons, only senior defensive end Ethan Burke has been at Texas longer than Hill.
More: Texas football: Steve Sarkisian makes case to Congress for 'guardrails' on court ruling
“I mean, I'm looking around, and me and Liona are, like, ‘OK, now we're the older guys,’” Hill said after a Texas practice Wednesday at Denius Fields.
Hill then recalled some of the defensive leaders from his first two seasons. He thought of Jaylan Ford, a heady and tough senior middle linebacker on the 2023 Texas team who’s now with the New Orleans Saints. He mentioned Barryn Sorrell, the all-business edge and a senior leader in 2024 who’s now prepping for the NFL draft.
“I mean, it's a little different,” he said. “Barryn, Jay Ford, none of those guys are here now. They did a good job of getting us here, so now we're kind of prepared and ready to be in the moment.”
More: Texas football: Why Neal Brown is working with Arch Manning on his breakfast habits
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As middle LB, Anthony Hill runs the defense
Hill, a five-star recruit from Denton, has had plenty of memorable moments after decommitting from Texas A&M at the last moment. Since arriving in spring 2023, he's played in 30 career games with 22 starts and racked up 180 total tackles, including 13 sacks and 24½ tackles for a loss. He’s also forced five fumbles, including four during last season’s All-America campaign.
More importantly, Hill has found a home at middle linebacker while becoming the de facto leader of the Texas defense that powered the Longhorns to a 13-3 record last season and a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
“All the plays go through him,” Simmons said. “He’s the middle linebacker, so he runs the defense.”
But Simmons knows that Hill does much more than serve as a bridge between the coaching booth and the field. Hill plays with an energy and physicality that sets the tone for the rest of the squad.
“It’s just him being Ant,” Simmons said. “The way he carries himself, the way he talks, the way he always brings the juice.”
Safety Michael Taaffe, a fifth-year senior and the leader of the secondary, says Hill reminds him of one of the pieces on the legendary 2021 Georgia defense, which allowed just 14 touchdowns and 153 total points in 15 games while producing 26 NFL draft picks.
“I never knew anybody personally on that 2021 Georgia team, but it seemed like when they stepped on the field, it was like, ‘All right, dog status,’” Taaffe said. “That's kind of how Anthony Hill is; when he steps off the field, he can joke around, but when he steps on the field, it's like, nobody's my friend here. If you're across the ball from me, you're not my friend. I don't care if you're my best friend in the locker room, you're not my friend. He's got that juice, that dog in him.”
More: College football needs a commissioner and Nick Saban should be the choice | Golden
2026 NFL draft chatter can wait, says Anthony Hill
The 6-foot-3, 237-pound Hill greets such praise with a shrug of his massive shoulders. He knows each offseason should mean another level of improvement, whether that includes better technique or better guidance for those less-experienced players surrounding him on the Texas defense.
“I already know I can make the big plays, but I’m just trying to refine my game,” he said. “Work on the details, footwork, hand placement, just little stuff to just make sure I can take the next step. I feel I can get better in pass covers, little better in pass rush. I’ve just been trying to work on little stuff every day just to try to get better.”
And how has he refined his leadership style, especially since he’s suddenly a team elder?
“I try to direct traffic here and there,” he said. “I try to let guys in the spring kind of mess up and make their mistakes. But after the play, I'll try to be, like, you did this and then that. I want guys to kind of learn by themselves instead of getting corrected on the field and making the same mistakes again.”
Hill is likely participating in his final days of spring football, which end next week. He’s drawn early projections as a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and he participated in an invitation-only symposium for 2026 NFL draft hopefuls at the NFL scouting combine earlier this year along with Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad.
But Hill downplayed any chatter about the NFL, much like the praise from his teammates. Combine interviews and 40 times will come eventually. For now, Hill wants to help Texas take the next step in the CFP and play for a national championship for the first time since falling to Alabama 37-21 after the 2009 season.
“I'm just coming to work every day, just working hard,” he said. “I’ll think about all that (NFL) stuff at the end of the season.”
Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Anthony Hill: LB embraces new role as veteran leader for Texas football
Continue reading...
