15. BRANDON HILL | Pittsburgh 5103 | 193 lbs. | 4JR Apopka, Fla. (Wekiva) 9/6/2000 (age 22.64) BACKGROUND: Brandon Hill, who is one of two boys, was born in Queens, N.Y., before his family moved to the Orlando area when he was 3. He enrolled at Wekiva High School in Apopka where he was teammates with several future FBS players, including Clemson defensive tackle Tyler Davis. Hill was a four-year letterman on varsity and played both ways as a wide receiver and safety. As a junior, he collected three interceptions and led the program to a 12-2 record and 2017 district championship. He earned first team all-conference as a senior with 29 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 12 passes defended and five interceptions, adding 202 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns on offense. Hill led Wekiva to an 11-2 record and back-to-back district championships in 2018. He also lettered in track and set personal bests in the 100 meters (11.48), long jump (20 feet 6 inches) and high jump (5’0). A three-star recruit, Hill was the No. 50 safety in the 2019 class and the No. 77 recruit in Florida. He had a breakout junior season at Wekiva and picked up Power 5 offers, including those from Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, NC State, Purdue and Virginia. Hill visited Pittsburgh in June 2018 and was won over by the city and coaches, committing almost on the spot. He was the third-highest ranked recruit in head coach Pat Narduzzi’s 2019 class. Hill opted out of the 2022 bowl game and skipped his senior season to enter the 2023 NFL Draft. STRENGTHS: Plays fast on tape and lit up stopwatches during testing (4.43 40-yard dash was No. 1 among safeties at the combine) ... ranges well off the hash to make plays at the sideline or overlap zones ... sudden out of transitions and doesn’t waste steps searching for balance ... resets his vision quickly and gets back into position after play-fakes ... plays the ball well in front of him ... aggressive high-to-low tackler and keeps foot on the gas through contact ... restricts cutback angles ... vocal presence and often takes command in the middle of the huddle to spark teammates ... athleticism helped him score a pair of long touchdowns on defense in his career. WEAKNESSES: Frame is shredded and muscular, but small and maxed out ... lack of length and average play strength will be more pronounced when matched up versus NFL tight ends ... lackluster eye discipline and spacing leads to inconsistent coverage angles ... small wingspan and will struggle to win jump-ball situations ... below-average ball production on 2022 tape ... tackling looks pristine on some 2022 tapes (Georgia Tech), but then appears to be a real issue on others (West Virginia) ... inconsistent centering his target on the move and often leads with shoulder instead of wrapping up. SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Pittsburgh, Hill lined up as the boundary safety in head coach Pat Narduzzi’s quarters-based scheme. He announced himself as a legitimate NFL prospect during his 2021 season, though you must scour the 2022 tape to find his plays on the football. Hill is explosive in and out of his speed turns and when flying downhill, living up to his fast 40-yard dash. However, wild angles dent his tackling batting average and leave him out of position in coverage. Overall, Hill doesn’t have the instincts of a playmaker and needs to improve his spatial relationship with route runners, but he covers a ton of ground and hunts for plays with his aggressive nature. He projects as a potential backup and special-teamer. GRADE: 5th round
