The Vols have appeared as a bigger threat in his recruitment since the recent visit. His family, specifically his father (Demetrius), has expressed a heavy desire for Hill to sign with Alabama.
“Just the familiarity with what’s going on over there,”
Demetrius Hill told BOL in September regarding his admiration for Alabama. “Me, my wife, and my kids being able to go over there at the drop of a hat instead of making a six or seven hour trip somewhere. As I told him before, give me an opportunity to be dad where I can come to practice and be dad, not coach. Let me see that development of you.”
Hill, on the other hand, has voiced concerns regarding early playing time for the Crimson Tide. It’s something South Carolina and Tennessee have sold as a significant recruiting pitch after Alabama signed
Justice Haynes and
Richard Young in the ’23 recruiting class. His father has shared the opinion about having tread left on the tires and waiting until Hill is ready rather than rushing just to get on the field.
“That’s a really important thing,”
Daniel Hill told BOL in September regarding the conversations with his father. “Obviously, I want to play early. I don’t want to go to college and sit on the bench.
“That’s something I don’t feel like I’d get accustomed to. But it’s really important and I understand both sides of it. I honestly don’t want to go and have my body beat up in my freshman year. So, it’s very understandable.”
The appearance is South Carolina is possibly a little too far from home for his family. Knoxville isn’t that much better, but is a little bit of closer drive. Alabama wins by a landslide in the distance factor, and where his family prefers. That said- Hill wants to make his own decision, and his family could decide to come to a compromise.