The Irish bolster their 2027 class by flipping a versatile, high-upside tackle from UCLA, adding massive length and interior flexibility to an increasingly dominant offensive front.
Notre Dame has picked up another offensive line commitment, landing West Hills, Calif./Chaminade Prep tackle Jackson Hill. Notre Dame flipped Hill from UCLA, who he committed to back in early April. Let's take a look at the class impact for Hill, how he fits into the Irish offense and we'll take a dive into his film.
NOTRE DAME CLASS IMPACT
Hill is the 16th overall player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2027 class. He is the ninth offensive player to commit to the Irish in the class and he's the fourth offensive lineman. He joins James Halter, Richie Flanigan and Olu Olubobola as linemen in the class.
Notre Dame landed six offensive linemen in the 2026 class, landing Grayson McKeogh, Tyler Merrill, Ben Nichols, Sullivan Garvin, Gregory Patrick and Charlie Thom. That class combined with the four signees in the 2025 class to give Notre Dame excellent numbers up front. That meant the Irish staff was focused more on impact talent, whether it's ready made players or upside players. Hill is more of the latter, as he's a player that is more about what he can be down the road, this is an upside play by Notre Dame.
When looking at specific needs, Notre Dame was targeting players with the potential to play tackle. Hill is a player that certainly can get a shot to play tackle at the next level. But Notre Dame also has a history or tackles moving inside and thriving at guard. Hill's skillset could also lend to him moving inside and playing guard if the need arises or if he can't stick at tackle. That versatility adds even more value to his addition to the class.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Hill is a long athlete that is already around 300 pounds, and he shows the length to play on the edge for Notre Dame. He projects as a tackle initially, with his power and overall skillset projecting well to right tackle in the Notre Dame offense. Hill shows a good feel for pass pro and he's nimble, but his game is primarily built around his ability to flash in the run game. That combination of skills works well at right tackle, but it also gives him the flexibility to move inside at guard, where he reminds me a lot of current Notre Dame starting guard Sullivan Absher.
FILM ANALYSIS
Hill is a really tall athlete that is every bit of the 6-6 to 6-7 that he's listed at. He shows at least solid arm length for the tackle position, although I'd like to get a more up close/accurate look at just how good his length is. Hill really filled out his frame as a junior, going from a tall, somewhat thin tackle as a sophomore to a more thick, well built junior. Based on his listed weight, Hill added over 30 pounds during that stretch, but he didn't lose any of his athletic skill. He has a thick lower body and shows the overall frame to continue adding weight. The Chaminade standout has really impressive power, both with his upper body punch and his ability to drive through contact.
At the moment, Hill does his best work in the run game. He fires off the ball and does a really good job driving his feet through contact. Hill gets good movement in the run game, especially with his lower body power. He'll need to add more upper body strength, but he has the kind of frame to add at least 10-15 more pounds and likely get even quicker and more explosive. Despite being 6-7, Hill is able to play with good pad level thanks to his ability to sink his hips and work his legs through contact. He plays with the kind of physical, punishing demeanor that Notre Dame has placed a premium on in the 2026 and 2027 offensive line classes. His run blocking skill and short area quickness are traits that lead me to believe his best position down the road will be guard.
In the pass game, Hill shows a good feel for what he's doing. This part of his game needs the more technical work, but he shows a good sense of what he needs to do. Hill needs to get a bit more sink in his pass sets. Initially it looked as though he didn't really have the flexibility to get this done the way you like at tackle, but he shows the ability to bend in the run game and there are enough pass sets where he sinks to show the physical tools are there. He's a nimble athlete with good change of direction skills, but I do wonder if Hill has the overall foot speed to really thrive in space in protection. As a guard, I believe his pass pro skills would be ideally suited.
Overall, Hill shows a good technical skillset. He's a sound player for his age that has been coached well. As is the case with all young players there's still plenty of work to do, but he's not a raw prospect from a technical standpoint. He handles line games well, shows a good football IQ, he uses his hands well and he plays with patience. Footwork in pass pro and consistency with his pad level in the pass game are the areas where he needs the most work.
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