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5-star freshman DB still climbing depth chart at Michigan
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Daxton Hill seemed like a player capable of stepping on the field immediately in Ann Arbor and making an impact on the Michigan defense. Even head coach Jim Harbaugh liked the former five-star safety’s chances to play early in his career.
Stars don’t mean a thing in fall camp, though, and Hill still has some climbing to do if he plans to get on the field for significant snaps this year. It’s not a knock to his talent, but an ode to Michigan’s depth in the secondary, as well as Hill’s youth and inexperience.
Defensive coordinator Don Brown likes what he’s seen from the newcomer, but says it’s still awfully early into camp to gauge the blue-chip recruit.
“Daxton Hill is a guy on our radar and has practiced extremely well, but again, he is a true freshman five practices in,” Brown said, according to MLive.com.
Hill came to Ann Arbor as the No. 14 player in the 2019 recruiting class, and was the No. 1 safety and the best player out of Oklahoma, per 247Sports’ recruiting rankings. He was planning to commit to Alabama, but flipped to Michigan at the last second.
Hill’s presence is still big for Michigan. It gives the defense plenty of depth and talent in the secondary. But in order to get on the field, he’s going to have to earn it.
With only five practices in the books, Hill still has plenty of time to earn a big role in Michigan’s defense.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB