I'm from Belleville IL and know Brian Hill personally, (coached him). I'm always lurking around message boards and found this one.
Let me just tell you guys that you found a diamond in the rough. Some posters in another thread were asking why some Big 10 or 12 schools didn't offer him. He was a little bit of a late bloomer. His Jr. year he played outside linebacker in a 3-4 and running back. He was a really good high school running back and just a good (Better than average) OLB his Jr. year but his senior year he became a dominant force at RB/WR and a very very good Safety. He was THE hardest worker on the team and his team plays in arguably the BEST conference in the St. Louis Metro area. Edwardsville, East St. Louis, Belleville East, O'Fallon and Belleville West are all some of the top teams in the STL area year in and year out.
Brian dominated the conference on both sides of the ball this past year. DOMINATED.
I really think Brian could develop into a top notch NFL type safety if he was put there and developed. He has prototype size for a thumper at SS. BUT, he has the ability to be a top notch RB as well. He's got the size, physicality and speed to be a very very productive running back.
Bigger schools didn't recruit him as much because he burst onto the scene his senior year. He was getting looks from Indiana State and EIU, Western Illinois after his junior year and started getting looks from bigger schools like Michigan State, Purdue this year, but I think they saw an guy that was an athlete more than someone that would have fit what they thought a specific role at RB or SS.
I really think Illinois, Mizzou and other area schools really missed out on Hill. He could have easily played in the Big 10 or 12 or even the SEC. Don't get me started on U of I. They suck year in and year out and I believe it's because they don't do well recruiting in their own state. The big time recruits go to bigger programs not U of I and when they go on to recruit "lower tiered" recruits, they miss a TON of talent from their own state. How they missed out on B. Hill is beyond me. I actually thought he'd turn them down cause he'd have better options. Just goes to show you how the folks doing the recruiting make mistakes, big mistakes, all the time.
I've personally seen kids that aren't half the players he is get bigger offers. These college coaches don't do their homework sometimes. I've seen kids with massive off the field issues that couldn't hold Hill's jock get full rides to bigger schools. Great players slip through the cracks all of the time. Just FYI he is PUMPED to be going to Wyoming and even though I'm pointing out that other schools missed out on him, I don't think Brian even thinks about it like that. He has always just worked his tail off and known if he did, he'd get an opportunity. You guys gave it to him and he is as excited to be a Cowboy as he would have going anywhere else.
Which brings me to my next point. He is a very high character kid. He is a football guy (lives and breathes it). You will not have to worry about him getting into any trouble off of the field and he works hard in the classroom too (never any eligibility issues). I can't say enough about how good of a kid he is. He's always seen himself as an athlete first. He doesn't get wrapped up in the off the field BS. We live in a fairly rough area where the temptation to get into trouble can be great, but Hill always stayed away from that stuff. Don't let the dreads and intimidating looks fool you, he is one of the nicest kids you'll meet. He will fit in anywhere!
I really think Wyoming would be a great environment for him as well.
A little tidbit you guys might like. He was being recruited by NDSU partly because his cousin Pierre Gee-Tucker (also a BW player and LB) signed with them last year. They then started looking at other kids in the program and Hill was a no-brainer. So when Bohl left for Wyoming Hill was still on his radar and hadn't signed with anyone yet. His cousin Pierre is another kid that I felt slipped through the cracks. He will be a GREAT player for NDSU and easily would have been a stud LB at a bigger school. He played there as a true freshman this past season.
They are both great players and kids too.
Anyway, you can tell i'm a big Brian Hill fan and now a Wyoming fan too!
For those of you saying you are most excited about Brian Hill, you should be, he is going to be a beast for you guys. The scary thing is that he still has a TON of untapped potential. He will get bigger and stronger in the weight room and he will only get better every year. So coach him up, and let him develop and you guys are going to have a good one for years to come!!