While the biggest name in Texas' 2023 recruiting class was five-star quarterback Arch Manning who has yet to make his debut, their most important get was five-star linebacker Anthony Hill.
The Denton, Texas native has appeared in all eight games for the No. 7 ranked Longhorns, and has made his presence felt. He has recorded 35 total tackles, three sacks, and also has two pass deflections. His strong showing as a freshman has led to him being named a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Award.
Hill was named Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week after his Week 2 showing in Texas’ win at Alabama. Hill racked up six tackles, two tackles for loss, and two sacks. The Longhorns have had a representative each of the last three years now, as Xavier Worthy was a finalist in 2021, and Kelvin Banks Jr. was a semifinalist in 2022.
The Finalists for the sixth annual Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award are set to be announced on November 29, 2023, with the winner of the award being announced on December 27, 2023.
Hill got the first start of his career this past week in Texas' 35-6 throttling of BYU, which saw the defense hold the Cougars to just 292 total yards of offense, with 95 of them being on the ground. He also almost picked off veteran Kedon Slovis.
Hill and Texas will be tested against the No. 23 Kansas State Wildcats who have two dangerous quarterbacks in Avery Johnson and Will Howard that they like to throw at teams. The Longhorns are looking to win for the seventh meeting in a row in what will be the final time that these teams face off as conference foes.
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