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Anthony Hill Jr. declares for NFL draft, will opt out of bowl

On3 imageby: Justin Wells3 hours ago

All-American linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. declared for the NFL draft on Monday. Hill will opt out of the Longhorns’ bowl game with Michigan, Inside Texas has learned. Hill, a junior from Denton Ryan, was named a second-team All-American in 2024 and is up for several similar honors in 2025.

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Hill finishes his career with 249 total tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, three interceptions, four passes defended, two fumble recoveries, and eight forced fumbles. In 2024, he logged 69 tackles with 7.0 for loss, 4.0 sacks, and two interceptions. He also had one pass defended, one fumble recovery, and three forced fumbles.

In addition to his All-America nods in 2024, Hill was the 2023 Big 12 co-defensive freshman of the year and a first-team All-SEC selection according to the associated press in 2024. The SEC coaches named him a second-teamer.

Hill finishes as one of the best Texas linebackers in recent memory. A three-year contributor who entered the starting lineup during his freshman season, Hill has made countless plays and anchored the Longhorn defense for the past three seasons. For the upcoming draft, Hill is a consensus top-five player at the linebacker position and could hear his name called in the early stages of day two of the draft.

Texas just completed a 9-3 regular season with losses to Ohio State, Florida, and Georgia and was left out of the College Football Playoff despite wins over Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt. It’s the first time since 2022 that the Longhorns have been left out of the College Football Playoff and failed to play for its conference championship.

The Longhorns will have plenty to do in the offseason ahead of 2026, including preparing for what is likely Arch Manning’s final season plus replacing defensive standouts like Michael Taaffe, Ethan Burke, and several others.

The program will be making changes throughout the offseason after signing the No. 10 class according to Rivals. The transfer portal opens on January 2, and the Longhorns will undoubtedly be active in that portion of the talent acquisition cycle.

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