Khalid Hill, Wolverine
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| Detroit (MI) Crockett TE Khalid Hill |
Detroit (MI) Crockett tight end Khalid Hill committed to Michigan on Monday during a visit to Ann Arbor. He picked the Wolverines over an offer from Central Michigan.
Hill is a 6’2″, 235 lb. kid who plays tight end and defensive end for Crockett. As a junior in 2011, Hill caught 29 passes for 448 yards (15.4 yards per catch) and 6 touchdowns. On defense he made 55 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks.
Ratings
ESPN: Unranked TE
Rivals: Unranked WDE
Scout: Unranked TE
247 Sports: 3-star TE, 86 grade
Hill is a little on the short side for a tight end, which is one reason why I thought it might take a while for him to get big-time offers. He’s reportedly a little taller than 6’2″ when you might expect early offers only to guys who are 6’4″ or taller. But Hill displays soft hands, good agility, and excellent route running skills. He sells his routes well and shows a knack for eluding jams at the line of scrimmage. He also shows pretty good speed and some elusiveness as a runner after the catch, more so than many of the bigger tight ends.
With a short frame, it’s likely that he’s headed for the U position, which is an H-back type role. His size might be an advantage when playing in space or lead blocking from the move position, but he may struggle to add enough weight and strength to be an every-down tight end. He gets a little bit lackadaisical with his blocking at times, and he’s going to have to be more consistent with his effort in the running game. That can be fixed with coaching, though.
Hill has the body to be able to play as a freshman if needed. He’s not the most fundamental or explosive player, but he’s not wispy like Devin Funchess and might be more college-ready immediately. I expect him to play a role somewhat like that of former Michigan tight end/H-back Aaron Shea.
This gives Michigan three commitments for the class of 2012. Hill is Michigan’s first commitment out of Crockett since Brandon Graham in the class of 2006.