Deion, Colorado land top-4 QB prospect in 2025

Tom VanHaaren, ESPN Staff WriterOct 20, 2023, 05:34 PM ET
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- ESPN staff writer
- Joined ESPN in 2011
- Graduated from Central Michigan

Colorado added an important recruit Friday when ESPN Junior 300 quarterback Antwann Hill Jr. announced his commitment to coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes.

Hill is the No. 49 prospect overall in the 2025 class and the No. 4 quarterback. He is a 6-foot-5, 215-pound recruit out of Houston County High School in Warner Robins, Georgia, who had offers from Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, LSU, Florida State and plenty of others.

He had recently taken a visit to Colorado for its game against Stanford on Oct. 13, which he said was a big part of what got him to commit.

“The crowd, fans yelling my name, saying, ‘We want AJ,'” Hill said. “That was one thing I haven’t seen before and I wasn’t expecting from that visit. So I mean, everything really just surprised me.

“That felt good, because it’s a very supportive fan base that’s all behind the team.”

Hill is the first top-300 high school quarterback to pick Colorado since Sanders’ arrival. Sanders was able to get his son Shedeur Sanders to transfer from Jackson State, but the staff has not added a potential replacement until now.

“[The coaches] really think I really fit their scheme, what they got going on up there,” Hill said. “Coach [Sean] Lewis, Coach Prime, they really want me to take over once Shedeur leaves, so I mean, I’d be the next guy up that will be a highly ranked quarterback to get that position. And I feel like I’d be good learning from Shedeur. Just taking notes from him, taking his leadership skills and putting them into mine. Really, they were saying, be ready to take over once Shedeur leaves because I’m the next man up.”

With size and talent, Hill has put up some impressive numbers in his high school career. As a sophomore in 2022, Hill threw for 3,663 yards, 40 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.

His commitment gives Colorado two ESPN Junior 300 commitments in the 2025 class, along with wide receiver Winston Watkins, the No. 86 recruit overall.

After spending time with Sanders, Hill thinks the team is on the right track.

“A couple more guys, a couple more big guys up front. I’m going to be on that real heavy ever since he told me that, ever since I committed, I’m going to try to help recruit some guys up front,” Hill said. “They’re doing good for Coach Prime’s first year, even though the record isn’t looking how everyone thought it would. But it’s his first year, so I mean, they showed improvement from last year, going 1-11, and he’s really turning around that program.”