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Class of 2009 OL likes Illinois and Michigan State
Jason Pughe
Updated January 27, 2008...
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Leon Hill (6-5 330) is one of the top offensive linemen in the 2009 class. This past season his Leo High School Lions from Chicago, Illinois finished the season 6-5. However, the Lions were undefeated in league play with a record of 5-0.
Leon is one of the top players in Illinois and received All-Area honors last season as well as being ranked the state’s #7 player overall by the Chicago Sun-Times. On February 2nd, his offers are going to start picking up.
“Illinois told me that they will offer on February 2nd”, Hill said. “Colorado, Notre Dame, and Wisconsin are sending me a lot of letters and might offer soon.”
Out of all the schools that are recruiting Hill, his top 5 consists of Illinois, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin. However, there are two schools that stand out over the other one’s.
“My favorites are Illinois and Michigan State and Illinois is recruiting me the hardest”, he said. “I like Coach Ron Zook and the way Coach Reggie Mitchell recruits for Illinois. He really recruits you hard and makes you feel like part of the family. At Michigan State, I like Coach Roushar (OL Coach); he really made me feel at home too.”
On his downtime Hill, who started playing football in the 8th grade, likes to lift weights and focus on his school work. His school work is very important to him and it’s one of the most important things that will factor into his college decision.
“It’s going to come down to the overall education and the overall family-feel of the college and coaches”, Hill said. “I want to have a close personal connection with my coach and be at a school that has good academics.”
Recently, Hill had an impressive performance at the US Army All-American junior combine in San Antonio, Texas. He showed a lot of people that he is one of the top offensive linemen in the nation. He’d like to think that he reminded people of his favorite player, Jonathan Ogden of the Baltimore Ravens. Despite Ogden being his favorite player, Hill followed another player and team when he was younger.
“I liked Miami growing up, mostly because of how all their starters went to the NFL and had great careers”, he said. “My favorite player on Miami was LB Jonathan Vilma.”
Hill’s goals for next season are to get faster (5.2 40 time), trim down, and work on his strength. On the field, he is an excellent run and pass blocker. Over the next couple of months, he plans to attend Notre Dame’s junior day as well as visit Wisconsin, Colorado, and Illinois. Currently, Hill has experienced two game day atmospheres.
“I’ve been to a Michigan game and an Illinois game”, Hill said. “The Michigan game had the best atmosphere so far because of all of the noisy fans, it was crazy.”
Leon Hill already has the body of a college offensive lineman. Over the next couple of months, he will get a better idea of what each school has to offer. Right now, the Illini and Spartans appear to be in the driver’s seat for this talented player. As signing day approaches, stay tuned because Athlete Vault will continue to bring you coverage on the upcoming 2009 class.