The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Anthony Hill Jr. selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by Tennessee Titans
04.24.2026 | Football
The linebacker went 60th overall in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. was selected 60th overall in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans on Friday night.
Hill becomes the first Texas linebacker selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since Derrick Johnson was picked in the first round by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2005. He is the third Longhorn linebacker selected in the last four NFL drafts and one of 11 Texas players taken in the first two rounds over the past three years. Texas' 11 selections in the first two rounds during that span are the third-most of any program, trailing only Ohio State (16) and Georgia (12).
The selection also marks the third consecutive draft in which Tennessee has chosen a Longhorn — joining TE Gunner Helm, who was selected in the fourth round (No. 120 overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft, and DL T'Vondre Sweat, who was taken in the second round (No. 38 overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft.
"I'm really excited for Anthony. He played a ton of great football for us, worked and got better every year, and has a lot of great football ahead of him," said Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. "Ant's a really versatile football player. He's a guy who can play off the ball linebacker and rush off the edge. I think he's a three-down player in the NFL. He's going to be a great addition to the Tennessee Titans, and I'm excited to watch him continue to develop and grow at the next level."
Hill played in 40 games with 32 starts in his three-year Texas career. A two-time second-team All-SEC selection, he recorded 249 tackles (136 solo), 17 sacks, 31.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, eight forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries during his career. Texas was 35-8, advanced to back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinals, won the 2023 Big 12 Championship and advanced to the 2024 SEC Championship Game in their first year in the league during his time on the Forty Acres.
As a junior in 2025, Hill started 10 games (missing the final two with injury) — earning consensus second-team All-American honors. He also was a Butkus Award finalist and Chuck Bednarik Award semifinalist in 2025. The Denton, Texas, native finished his final year at UT with a team-high three forced fumbles (tied with Colin Simmons), and totaled 69 tackles (37 solo), 7.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, two interceptions, one pass breakup, five pressures and one fumble recovery. During that junior campaign he was at his best in the second half of the season, recording six tackles (three solo), 0.5 tackles for loss and an interception at No. 5 Georgia — the game he was injured in that ended his season. He posted four tackles (three solo), 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack in a 34-31 win over No. 9 Vanderbilt. Following a 10-tackle, 2.5 sacks, 4.0 tackles for loss, four pressures and a forced fumble performance in a 45-38 overtime win at Mississippi State, Hill was named the Chuck Bednarik Player of the Week, Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and SEC co-Defensive Player of the Week. In a 16-13 overtime road win at Kentucky, he led Texas with 12 tackles (eight solo) while adding an interception. His seven tackles (four solo) helped Texas to a 23-6 win against No. 6 Oklahoma, while he posted career-high 14 tackles and returned a fumble 21 yards at Florida.
Hill started all 16 games in helping the Longhorns advance to the CFP semifinals as a sophomore. Texas finished that year with a 13-3 record, advanced to the SEC Championship Game and a No. 3 final ranking. He had 113 tackles, 8.0 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles that year. As a true freshman, he earned FWAA Freshman All-American honors and was the co-Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in helping Texas to a Big 12 Championship, a CFP semifinal appearance, a 12-2 record and a No. 3 final ranking. He posted 67 tackles, 5.0 sacks, and 8.0 tackles for loss in his first season at Texas.
QUOTES FROM ANTHONY HILL JR.
On playing for Robert Saleh, someone who's known to develop middle linebackers:
I know, I know one thing. a fast and physical football coach, so I'm excited to play for a defense in a DC that's going to be able to play, play fast and physical.
On when he learned of the Titans' interest in him:
I had a 30 visit with them, actually, so I met the DC, I met the linebacker's coach, and I met some of the staff, and I feel like it was a great connection. I love the city. I got to go around the city a little bit. So, man, I just love the city. I'm so excited to be in Nashville.
On what he was asked on his visit:
I mean, trying to get to know me, what's my moral compass, and just scheme stuff, trying to understand scheme, going through some of the scheme stuff they do, and it was it was a pretty awesome getting to go through some of that stuff.
On what he brings to the team:
Well, I think I think I bring versatility and being a physical presence that a lot of people don't have. I feel like I'm a guy that's going to work hard and do his job and be a great teammate.
On where his pass rush production as a linebacker comes from:
I've been having great coaches, and I played some edge when I was younger, growing up, middle school, high school, so I did a pretty good job in understanding on how to do that. Then I got to college, and I had great coaches that helped me work through some of that, as well as doing linebacker stuff.
On playing for Robert Saleh:
I'm actually a big football fan, so I'm kind of excited to play for a guy like him because I know his resume. I know what he did with other linebackers, Bobby Wagner, some of those guys in the past, Fred and Greenlaw. So, I'm excited to play with a guy that I know is going to focus on the linebackers and he's going to make sure I'm developed the best of my ability.
On coming in to and becoming a great linebacker under Robert Saleh:
I just really want to just come in and focus on working on my details and working on my craft and just taking to wherever it leaves me. So, I know he's going to develop me, so I'm going to be all ears. I'm ready to learn and I'm ready to I'm ready to be coached.
On being having the green dot communications at Texas:
I took a lot of pride in being able to do some of that stuff. I did it for two years, so I'm capable of doing it, and if it calls for it, I'm ready to do it. I feel like it takes a lot of hard work and preparation to do it, but I feel like I'm up for the challenge if need to call to be.
On what the wait was like and if he thought he would last to pick 60:
I didn't. It was a little longer than I expected, but, you know, I'm just happy to be here. I'm happy to be in Titan. I'm happy to be picked. There's nothing to complain about on my end.
On what the moment was like:
It was amazing. I had a big feeling that the Titans were going to be the team, but when I got that call, it was pretty amazing to get to enjoy that moment. Everyone was so excited and it was so emotional.
On so many Longhorns having played for Tennessee, including currently Gunnar Helm:
It was pretty cool, Gunnar was one of the first people that called me after I got drafted, so just having people like that, who I know are going to have my back, and want me to succeed, that's going be something that's extremely cool for me. I'm just kind of excited for the opportunity getting to work.
On how prepared he feels coming out of Texas:
I feel great being able to get in and go get to work because I feel like I've been developed well at Texas, and we do a lot of similar stuff. The things they do at Tennessee are things we did at Texas. So, it's pretty exciting to be able to go to a school where we did similar stuff and it's been pretty awesome.
On there being so many Longhorns active in the NFL and now being a part of that:
It feels it feels pretty good. I'm happy to be a part of the family. Every week you're going to see someone you know on the other side of the field, and there are so many guys you can talk to for anything that comes up. It really just shows how special Texas is to have so many guys in the league.
On who he has talked to since he was picked:
I've talked to so many people. I talked to the Derrick Johnson. I've talked to Coach Nansen. I've been trying to get back to everybody. So, I've talked to a lot of people, and I'm just happy that they're showing some love and reaching out to me.
On what he would like to say to Longhorn Nation:
I just want to thank everybody that's been a part of the journey. I had a great time at Texas and I'm happy to be a part of the family forever. It's always going to be a special place and it's always going to be home. I'm definitely going to be a Longhorn forever.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Welcome to Nashville, @thegoatanthony1! 👋 pic.twitter.com/mzB3nuZMCz
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 25, 2026
Anthony Hill by the numbers 📈 pic.twitter.com/SgJCejMp3M
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 25, 2026
"I'm ready, I'm ready to have some fun" making @thegoatanthony1 a Tennessee Titan
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 25, 2026
Draft Room Call presented by @Verizon pic.twitter.com/x1jW9XwOX1
.@GrindSimmons94 with the pick announcement for the newest member of the Titans defense @thegoatanthony1
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 25, 2026
📺 2026 #NFLDraft April 23-25 on @NFLNetwork @ESPN @ABC pic.twitter.com/uSkxjl7jMG
catch @thegoatanthony1 in Music City, y'all 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/upcuSXdEYu
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) April 25, 2026
Another Longhorn in Nashville 🤘 @thegoatanthony1 pic.twitter.com/zpmndFCBVR
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 25, 2026
That Draft Day moment 🤘@thegoatanthony1 x @Titans pic.twitter.com/0uFUgv7kpg
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 25, 2026
Reunited 🤝 https://t.co/x5Fejn4t1u
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 25, 2026
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 25, 2026
"He's the prototype linebacker in this defense. Long, fast, violent."
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 25, 2026
GM Mike Borgonzi on the Titans 2nd round pick Anthony Hill Jr. pic.twitter.com/lCqEWl8aML
