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Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff Writer
Alabama beat out finalists Ohio State, Oregon and USC to secure a pledge from four-star outside linebacker Justin Hill on Wednesday afternoon, landing the 86th-ranked prospect in the 2025 ESPN 300 as coach Kalen DeBoer assembles his inaugural class in Tuscaloosa.
Hill, a 6-foot-3 defender, announced his decision in a ceremony at Cincinnati’s Winton Woods High School. According to ESPN rankings, he is the No. 4 prospect in the state of Ohio in the 2025 class and the 10th-ranked outside linebacker in this cycle.
With Hill’s pledge, the Crimson Tide have added 12 commitments since June 1. DeBoer’s debut recruiting class includes 15 ESPN 300 commits and seven top-100 prospects. Hill ranks as the second-highest-rated defender pledged to the Crimson Tide in this cycle behind only linebacker Darrell Johnson (No. 34 overall) in a defensive class that features commitments from outside linebackers Dawson Merritt (No. 15 OLB) and Jaedon Harmon (No. 19), cornerback Chuck McDonald III (No. 14 CB), inside linebacker Abduall Sanders Jr. (No. 2 ILB) and defensive tackle Antonio Coleman (No. 16 DT).
Alabama initially offered Hill under Nick Saban in June 2023 after Hill tallied 42 tackles and 5.5 sacks in his sophomore season at Winton Woods. His sack total ballooned to 13 to go with 36 total tackles in his junior campaign last fall ahead of a spring recruitment slate that included unofficial trips to Miami and Alabama before official visits to Ohio State, USC, Alabama and Oregon.
With a long wingspan and track speed, Hill plays multiple positions across the Winton Woods defense. His junior season sack total reflects a keen pass-rush ability, and the rangy defender looks comfortable at both the outside and inside linebacker spots. At Alabama, Hill will provide defensive coordinator Kane Womack with a player who is capable of filling multiple roles once he arrives on campus in 2025.
Hours after Hill’s commitment, the Crimson Tide lost a 2025 pledge from athlete Zymear Smith, the 138th-ranked prospect in the ESPN 300. Smith, the No. 10 athlete in the 2025 class, had been committed to Alabama since early March. Prior to pulling his pledge, Smith was the 10th-ranked prospect in the Crimson Tide class.
