Barryn Sorrell lists Anthony Hill Jr. as the next pass-rushing LB to make an impact at Texas

20200517_134556by:Justin Rudolph•08/07/23
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The Texas Longhorns are getting ready for the start of the 2023 season and are putting the final touches on their preparations at their fall camp. Recently, star defensive lineman Barryn Sorrell took some time following practice to discuss a few situations he’s had his eye on during camp. One of which is the Longhorns’ pass rush, which is expected to play a major role in their success in 2023. And a player Sorrell believes that will make a significant impact this season is linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.

Sorrell says the 6-foot-3 freshman will be the next high-end pass rusher for the Longhorns from the linebacker position. And the Texas veteran also revealed another player he’s working with to get to the same level as Hill.

“Right now, it’s definitely been A Hill. He has they get a good get-off, a good bend, and he has a good awareness of where the quarterback is,” said Sorrell. “So he knows how to move around tackles and dirty up the pocket.

“I work with Jaylan Ford a lot. Just because there’s packages where he’s on the edge as well. So he’s been the main guy that we’ve been working together pass rush-wise.”

Sorrell definitely knows a thing or two when it comes to rushing the quarterback. In his freshman year, he saw a decent amount of action as a true freshman himself. He played in five games for the Longhorns at linebacker, recording eight tackles on the season, with three of them solo. The following year, things took off for Sorrell after a position change. Texas moved him from linebacker to the EDGE position, which allowed him to really hone in on his pass-rushing skills. And boy, did he. In 2022, Sorrell recorded 44 total tackles, 16 solo, nine tackles for a loss, and 5.5 sacks. His 5.5 sacks led the Longhorns in that category last season.

Hill definitely has the skill set to be one of the top defensive players not only at Texas but in the country. According to On3’s Industry Rankings, the Denton, TX, native was a top 20 five-star recruit in the 2023 class, at No. 16 in the nation (second in linebackers).

The true freshman, he is earning the attention and respect of his veteran teammates like Sorrell. Now, the next step for Hill is to put it all together on the field for the Longhorns in 2023.