The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 3/3/3 Football’s Hill named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week
11.25.2024 | Football
The sophomore linebacker earned his second weekly honor from the Southeastern Conference office on Monday.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Football sophomore linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. was named the SEC's Co-Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced on Monday morning. It's Hill's second conference weekly honor of the season after last earning SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 15.
Hill, a second-year player who was named a semifinalist for the Bednarik and Butkus Awards, has started in all 11 games this season. Hill leads the Longhorns with 7.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, 79 total tackles and four forced fumbles, while also posting an interception and four pressures. Hill was named the Walter Camp's National Player of the Week on Oct. 15 and Lott IMPACT National Player of the Week on Oct. 16. Prior to the season, Hill was selected to watch lists for the Nagurski Trophy and Butkus Award along with being tabbed preseason second-team All-SEC on defense.
Hill set career single-game highs of two sacks and four tackles for loss as part of 11 total tackles in addition to forcing a fumble as he led Texas to a 31-14 win over Kentucky on Nov. 23. He posted a sack on Kentucky's second offensive play, pushing them to a 2nd-and-17, which led to a punt three plays later. The Denton, Texas, product's forced fumble came early in the second quarter as he also made a tackle for loss to force a 4th-and-2 from the Texas 4-yard line. His second sack came in the third quarter with the Wildcats having a 3rd-and-goal from the Longhorns' 3-yard line while trailing 24-7. The sack was for a 12-yard loss, forcing a field goal attempt that Kentucky then missed. Hill led a UT defense that limited the Wildcats to 232 total yards, including just 21 rushing yards. The 21 yards are the third fewest allowed in a game in the Sarkisian era at UT and mark the fifth time in the last two years Texas has allowed fewer than 35. Kentucky only had one drive longer than 39 yards of their 11 drives during the game, which was 73 yards on the strength of a 42-yard pass play. Seven of their drives went for fewer than 20 yards.
Hill leads a Texas defense that ranks second in the FBS in total defense (247.5 ypg), passing yards allowed (143.5 ypg), passing efficiency defense (93.51), passes intercepted (17) and first down defense (162), while ranking third in scoring defense (12.1 ppg), and leading the SEC in all of those categories. It also ranks fifth in the FBS in turnovers gained (24), ninth in third-down conversion percentage defense (0.299), 11th in sacks (3.0), and 13th in tackles for loss (7.3).
This week, Texas closes out the regular season on the road at No. 20/19/15 Texas A&M at 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 30, at Kyle Field. ESPN's College GameDay will be airing live from the Texas A&M campus from 8-11 a.m. Saturday hosted by Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, Kirk Herbstreit and other ESPN personalities.
