Opting out vs Michigan, Texas' star turns his final Austin days into a $6K surprise.
The Texas Longhorns will close the book on the 2025 season with a New Year's Eve showdown against Michigan in the Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium, but one of the program's most impactful players won’t be on the field.
Linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., a two-time All-American and the heartbeat of Texas' defense, has opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
While that decision removes a game-changing presence from the Longhorns' lineup, it also opens the door for younger defenders to showcase their development in a high-profile matchup against the Wolverines.
In today's college football landscape, bowl opt-outs have become part of the postseason reality, especially for elite players with draft stock to protect.
Hill's absence will be felt against Michigan, but his focus has shifted toward the next chapter of his career and toward leaving Austin the right way.
On the same day he learned he had been named an AP Second Team All-American, Hill chose to spend his time giving back to the community that embraced him during his three seasons on the Forty Acres.
Partnering with Matthew McConaughey's Just Keep Livin' Foundation, Hill helped surprise 40 local kids with a $6,000 shopping spree at an Academy store in the Austin area.
Instead of preparing for a bowl game, the Longhorns star was walking aisles, helping kids pick out gear, and creating memories that will last far longer than a stat line.
"This is one of my last days in the town," Hill said. "So just to come back and kind of help the community is important to me."
For Hill, the event wasn’t about headlines or recognition; it was about reconnecting with the city and reliving the joy of his own high school days.
That moment off the field was fitting for a player whose impact at Texas went far beyond tackles and sacks. Over 40 games in burnt orange, Hill compiled 249 total tackles, including 136 solo stops, along with 31.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, eight forced fumbles, seven pass deflections, and three interceptions.
He wasn't just productive ... he was disruptive.
Hill set the tone for a defense that thrived on speed, aggression, and physicality. During his tenure, Texas captured a Big 12 championship in 2023, reached the SEC Championship Game in 2024, and made two College Football Playoff semifinal appearances.
Hill was at the center of all of it, serving as the emotional and physical leader of a unit that consistently rose in the biggest moments.
His decision to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft following the win over Texas A&M officially closed his college chapter, but it didn't diminish his connection to Austin.
Now, as the Longhorns prepare for life without one of their defensive cornerstones, Hill prepares for the next level as one of the top linebacker prospects in the draft class.
He may not suit up for one final bowl game, but Anthony Hill Jr. leaves Texas with a legacy defined by dominance, leadership, and a final act that showed exactly what kind of Longhorn he was... right up to the end.