Priority in-state EDGE target Justin Hill sees vision after Ohio State official visit
COLUMBUS – Four-star Cincinnati (Ohio) Winton Woods EDGE Justin Hill has visited Ohio State several times and has seen almost every room inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Hill also has a former teammate on the current roster in sophomore cornerback Jermaine Mathews so he knows what it is like to be a football player at Ohio State.
The last thing that Hill needed to learn about Ohio State was their plan to implement the JACK position that it is recruiting him to play and the coaching staff showed him everything that he needed to see about the position on his official visit.
“Really great overall. They showed me how they are going to be using it in the future, really just bringing clarity on when they’re going to use it and why they haven’t used it was kind of big for me going into this visit. I feel like they cleared that box and showed me why,” Hill told Lettermen Row. “They have probably the best DE duo in the country so it’s no point to do something like that if you already have them.
Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, defensive line coach Larry Johnson, linebackers coach James Laurinaitis and cornerbacks coach Tim Walton have all helped sell Hill on how he fits in the Buckeyes’ defense.
“They sold it to me and just being able to get coached by the coach Knowles, coach Larry Johnson, a legend, and then coach Laurinaitis who has done it for so long in the league was big. And the other guys like coach Walt who is my dog and my area coach so he is always gonna be on and we are pretty close. So just learning from those type of people is big and they showed me how they could do that for me.”
Hill was uncertain about the Buckeyes’ plan to play the JACK position heading into his official visit. After his visit, Hill is confident in the plan the Ohio State coaching staff has for the position.
“I was a little less confident when we spoke. But now I feel like I’m pretty confident in the vision they have for it.”
James Laurinaitis was busy this weekend with three linebacker prospects of official visits, including Hill, but Larry Johnson stepped up to pitch the in-state standout on how Ohio State plans to develop him as a pass rusher.
“We had meetings and I had two meetings with coach Laurinaitis and a meeting with Coach Johnson. So I spoke with everybody a good amount and I had my meeting with Coach Johnson today, it was later on in the visit, but he kind of almost tipped it off. Like he showed me what he could do and in his whole presentation was super good. I enjoyed it.”
Hill was also hoping to learn more about Columbus on his official visit to Ohio State and he did just that this weekend.
“It was great. Really it’s just, I mean, it’s a bunch of stuff. Like say you go out, and I am not a big go-out person, but there is a bunch of stuff you could do and the living situations are pretty good. And that’s an understatement. But I feel like I can be happy living there. No question about that. So I’m just very pleased overall.”
Ohio State was the first of four official visits that Hill has scheduled in June and the Buckeyes have set the bar in this recruitment.
“I don’t want to say I got a leader but Ohio State is one of the ones at the front of the race.”
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