A few people on Twitter made their way over to my page and voted Daxton Hill most likely to start as a freshman. Fellow star Michigan Wolverines commit, Zach Charbonnet, came in at a close second.
What this means is out of 24 people, 12 voted for Hill. What it really means is Hill is incredibly talented and people are starting to take notice.
If his stats on Hudl are correct (Height and Weight: 6’2” 182lbs, 40 Yard Dash: 4.46, Shuttle: 4.13) he would be exactly what this Michigan defense needs to make up for the lackluster effort we saw in the final games of last season.
Michigan’s website seemed to disagree with his height, listing the high-profile freshman 6’0”.
At the end of the day, who cares about two inches? Well, let’s not go there.
What does matter is Daxton ran faster than his own reported 40-yard dash at Nike’s Regional Opening in Dallas, Texas – He ran a 4.30.
Based on his metrics, Hill was ranked second among his competitors across the county; finishing behind Georgia commit Owen Pappoe.
Will Daxton Hill Start For Michigan Football?
The Hype Is Real
SoonerScoop.com’s Josh McCuistion said of Hill, “I think anyone can see the testing numbers and put together that he isn’t usual, but when you watch him up close and see how he closes on ball carriers or covers man-to-man on elite receivers you realize he just isn’t your average safety. When you throw in that he is 6-2, 200-pounds, it just becomes an abundance of talent that few safeties, in any year, can match up with.
Watching Daxton’s tapes, anyone can see he has spectacular closing speed, how he runs straight through blocks and has an uncanny ability to read plays.
“He brings great size and speed to the safety position. He covers like a cornerback and hits like a linebacker.” Said Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst Josh Helmholdt. Helmbolt also compared Hill to former Michigan great and current Cleveland Brown safety Jabrill Peppers.
Famous Family
If the video, expert analysis, and metrics aren’t proof enough of Daxton’s skills, maybe this will change your mind.
Daxton is the younger brother of Justice Hill. Justice rushed for 1,142 yards as a freshman at Oklahoma State and ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at the NFL combine just a few days ago.
Obviously, speed runs in the family – pun intended.
Michigan Defensive Depth Chart
What’s the way too early depth chart look like? The departure of Tyree Kinnel and David Long severely hurt Michigan’s pass defense and defensive coordinator Don Brown will have some tough decisions to make. Hill’s most likely competitor is Senior Josh Metellus; however, Metellus’ performance against Ohio State and Florida left a great deal to be desired.
Additionally, the Wolverines head coach gave some very positive comments about Daxton, making it all the more probable Hill will play for Michigan early.
“He’s got great contact courage and may be the fastest guy on the field,” Jim Harbaugh said after signing day. “Even with his height, the last couple of games he was the fastest guy out there. I think he can be that in college, a big-time safety.”
“He’s a low-key guy. Doesn’t like a ton of attention. I love his humility that way. He’s got it set up to be one of the best safeties we’ve ever had.”
One could argue Daxton does like a lot of attention. In September, he verbally committed to play for Michigan. December came and Hill reversed course and committed to Alabama, just to recommit to Michigan shortly after.
It appears Daxton Hill is here to stay after signing his letter of intent and – more importantly – retweeting Michigan football’s announcement.
Will Daxton Hill Start For Michigan?
That’s the question on everyone mind and the answer lands solely on Daxton Hill. Should he come in and play as well as he did on his highlight tapes, he should get some major playing time. Whether he starts or not, the consensus is he’s a great addition to the Wolverines and all the fans are certainly looking forward to seeing Hill sporting the maize and blue.
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