Tag: Daxton Hill

2020 Season Countdown: #3 Daxton Hill

Name: Daxton Hill
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 192 lbs.
High school: Tulsa (OK) Booker T. Washington
Position: Safety
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #30
Last year: I ranked Hill #42 and said he would be the starting nickel corner (LINK). He started three games and made 36 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 2 fumble recoveries, and 4 pass breakups.
TTB Rating: 100

Hill was the best safety in the 2019 class, and expectations were sky-high for him as a freshman. Safety is a tough spot to play for any first-year player, so Michigan worked him in slowly. They had that luxury because the team had senior Josh Metellus and junior Brad Hawkins at safety, plus senior Lavert Hill and junior Ambry Thomas at cornerback.

Hill showed flashes of stardom as a freshman. In week two he caught a 25-yard pass from Michael Barrett on a fake punt against Army. He made a diving interception at Indiana. He made 8 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in the bowl game against Alabama. (Also noteworthy: he got burned for a touchdown on the first play by Jerry Jeudy.)

Now Jim Harbaugh is saying things like “Hill is the most talented athlete on the team.” Don Brown is saying that safety Hill “is the best cover guy on the team.” Word on the street is that the coaching staff has asked Hill to play corner, but he has balked at the idea since he plans to play safety in the NFL.

There was a time that Michigan talked to Hill about playing him both ways in college. I wonder if 2020 may be a year when Hill gets some opportunities on offense. Ambry Thomas got a look on offense as a sophomore in 2018, and Michigan lost three receivers from last season (Donovan Peoples-Jones, Tarik Black, and Nico Collins). Though there is still talent at receiver, I wonder if Hill might get a chance to make some plays.

Even if Hill sticks to defense only, we should see a big year from him. Though production might be down overall since the Big Ten is only slated to play nine games, I think Hill will have the best season of any Michigan safety since Harbaugh was hired in 2015. He’s fast and tackles well, and a year of experience under his belt should help with fleshing out opposing offenses. I’m excited about what he will bring to the table in 2020.

Prediction: Starting free safety

Hit the jump for some of Hill’s 2019 highlights.

A History of #1 Safety Recruits

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When Michigan has landed a #1 recruit in the past, I have always done a look back at how other #1 rated prospects have performed in the past. I meant to do that with the safety position after Daxton Hill committed to the Wolverines, but somehow I didn’t get around to it.

Here it is.

2000: O.J. Owens – S – New London (NC) North Stanly
Owens (Tennessee) played in eighteen games from 2000-2003 but never achieved a great amount of success. He did not play in the NFL. He dealt with shoulder and head injuries throughout his career and sued the NCAA in 2016 due to head injury concerns.

2001: Ernest Shazor – S – Detroit (MI) King
Shazor (Michigan) contributed as a redshirt freshman and spent three more years in Ann Arbor, making 166 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 4 interceptions (1 TD), 5 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 12 pass breakups. He was a First Team All-American in 2004. He made a questionable decision to leave for the NFL after his redshirt junior year, and he was not picked in the 2005 NFL Draft. He spent one season with the Cardinals, playing in just two games.

Hit the jump for more.

Nightly Roundup: January 29, 2020

Morgan Trent is a high-end realtor now, and I’m posting this at 8:00 p.m. EST so you can see him on TV at 10:00 p.m. EST if you want (LINK).

Hit the jump for now.

Michigan vs. Notre Dame Awards

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Hassan Haskins. Haskins had 20 carries for 149 yards. This is just an affirmation of his fantastic overall play over the past few weeks, not necessarily a request to see him get more than 20 carries. Those 20 attempts included a 49-yard run, a highlight-reel hurdle, and lots of broken tackles. He’s averaging 6.2 yards per carry on the year.

Hit the jump for more.

Michigan vs. Penn State Awards

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Ronnie Bell. Maybe this is an emotional reaction to the backlash Bell received for dropping the potential game-tying or game-winning pass on Saturday night, but I thought the kid played very well overall. He caught 5 passes for 82 yards, he blocks, and he earns yards after the catch. He’s Michigan’s version of Julian Edelman. And yes, that means he’s Michigan’s best receiver.

Hit the jump for more.