Texas Longhorns LB Anthony Hill Not Concerned with Preseason Hype

“I mean, of course, we see it because we're all in the same internet as y'all,” Hill Jr. said. “But we, kind of, ignore it and, kind of, try to focus on what we need to do every day to be the best team could be.”

Elaborating further, Hill Jr. said ignoring the rankings and media’s commentary isn’t difficult.

“It's not really hard to ignore, if you just focus on what you need to do every day,” Hill Jr. added. “You don't really want to look at all the hype, that's when you get caught up in it, and (it) just ruins your focus.”

Entering his third season with Texas, Hill Jr. has witnessed the Longhorns lose in the College Football Playoff Semifinals in back-to-back seasons. First, in the 2023 season, against the Washington Huskies (31-31) in the Sugar Bowl, as well as last season against the Ohio State Buckeyes (28-14) in the Cotton Bowl.

When asked if there’s “chip on your shoulder” regarding the loses, with any of the seasoned players, Hill Jr. admits he still thinks about those major loses, but doesn’t let it affect his playing.

“We think about it,” Hill Jr. said. “I mean, how could you not think about it, losing in those game back to back? But then again, we want to focus on day-by-day, and not think about the national championship.”

While diving further into the importance of taking things as they come, Hill Jr. emphasized that is their key to success — not dwelling on the past, focusing on their present amd not looking too far ahead. 

“We gotta go win week one before we go think about winning week 16. So I'm just taking it week by week,” Hill Jr. said. “And just make it (through), then we can look back and think about all that stuff.”

Regarding the Longhorns’ tough upcoming schedule, Hill Jr. said what excites him the most is the challenging games.

“We gotta go play, of course, Ohio State week one, and then (later on) we go play Florida, OU, Vanderbilt, I mean, we got a lot of challenges,” Hill Jr. said. “So, it should be a really fun season for us. And I'm just looking forward to playing some of these elite teams.”

Overall, the linebacker proves to be in a good headspace as he enters the season alongside the Longhorns as they gear up to take on the Buckeyes next Saturday.