"Thank you for embracing me from the moment I arrived in Austin," Hill wrote in a statement announcing his enrollment in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Texas Longhorns will be without star linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. for the team's bowl game against Michigan in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, as well as next season as Hill has announced that he is forgoing his remaining eligibility and entering into the 2026 NFL Draft process.
Hill - who suffered a broken bone in his hand - did not play in Texas' last two regular-season games, marking the Longhorns' win over Arkansas on Nov. 22 as Hill's last game in college.
The Athletic's NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler projects Hill as a Day 2 selection in either the second or third round, but some publications rank him among the best linebackers in the class and a fringe first-round prospect.
Hill was named a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's best linebacker, after totaling 70 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions. Other finalists included Jacob Rodriguez of Texas Tech (winner), Aidan Fisher (Indiana), Arvell Reese (Ohio State) and C.J. Allen (Georgia).
The former five-star recruit out of Denton Ryan, Hill posted 250 total tackles, 17 sacks, eight forced fumbles and three interceptions in his three-year career with the Longhorns.
In 2023, Hill shared Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors before putting together an All-American campaign as a sophomore in 2024 with career-highs in tackles (113), sacks (8) and forced fumbles (4).
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Many believe Hill's tenure is one of the best linebacker careers in Texas football history after winning the a starting role as a freshman and becoming an immediate leader in the locker room in addition to reliable force on the field.
“Representing Texas and wearing the burnt orange has truly been an honor," Hill wrote in his social media announcement.
Hill is the first Longhorn to declare enrollment into the upcoming draft process, and he is likely the prospect with the highest chances to be selected early on.
Last year, three Texas Exes were drafted in the first round after competing alongside Hill in the Longhorns' two College Football Playoff semifinals appearances in the last two years: OT Kelvin Banks Jr. (9th), S Jahdae Barron (20th) and WR Matthew Golden (23rd). It was just the second time in program history that three Longhorns were drafted in the first round.
A total of 12 Longhorns were picked in the seven-round draft, a new program record.
Through 2025, 380 Longhorns have been selected in the NFL Draft all-time. Head coach Steve Sarkisian has accounted for 28 of those draftees in the last four cycles, greatly increasing the pace from before him.
You can add Anthony Hill Jr. to that total very soon.
The 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 23-25.